Age of Heroes: Karma and Convexity
by Spartan-029
Summary: The prequel to the hit series Age of Heroes. Witness the rise of the first dragon super powers over 1000 years before Spyro. Crona and Certo must come to terms with their gifts and curses in order to save each other from the dangers of the past.
1. Chapter 1

"Hold the line!"

The dragons roared furiously as another wave of armored apes lunged for them. The dirty, smelly baboons swung their bladed weapons wildly, cutting into warm dragon flesh. The wounded dragons only seemed to become more enraged by the blows and slashed with their claws, tearing their foes to shreds.

"Death to the dragons!" The ape king howled and his brutish warriors whooped and hollered in blood-thirsty excitement.

Behind the line of adult dragons, a young white dragoness no more than six years old sat shaking in fear with her friend of the same age, Arcadia. Crona and Arcadia were the only two hatchlings left of the fifteen that had been alive before the surprise attack. They had been pushed to the back of the dragon lines by the elders and protected by the already wounded in the first assault. Now those same dragons were rushing back to support the more able-bodied adults as the masses of apes clawed their way through their lines. The barbaric creatures were not much of a match in terms of strength in comparison to dragons, but what they lacked in strength they made up for in tenacity and numbers.

A large ape leaped high, trying to vault over the lines of dragons. A single fire dragoness spotted him and sprang into the air. She snatched the filthy ape out of the air and bit down hard. The ape's spine snapped and his body was torn to shreds. A group of apes immediately pounced on the dragoness, stabbing her repeatedly with their daggers and swords.

"Ashe!" A male ice dragon cried when he heard his mate's cries of pain.

"Mother!" Crona screamed, taking a few steps forward.

"Crona, don't!" Arcadia protested, putting herself between her friend and the other dragons.

Crona's mother bellowed furiously, hearing her little girl's voice, tearing the apes away from her badly bleeding body. But for each one she threw off another two would take its place and the stabbing would continue.

"Ashe!" The ice dragon roared and knocked away a group of apes trying to cut him off from assisting his mate. Kryos snarled and released a blast of ice, freezing several of the apes where they stood before smashing them to bits under his heavy paws. He was so focused on his mate that he didn't see the volley of spears coming his way.

"Kryos, get down!" One of his comrades shouted as several flew past him. The ice dragon turned and ducked but not before several of them hit his side. He roared in pain and fell to the ground, four spears sticking up out of his shoulder.

The sound of Ashe's dying cry hurt Crona's ears and she looked up to see her mother fall from the sky. The apes had ducked out of the way before the spears hit their mark.

Crona stood frozen in shock as tears fell down her cheeks and plopped onto her tiny feet. The older dragons moved to cover the hole in their lines, blocking her view of her fallen mother's body. Suddenly, Crona felt a violent shove and a terrified scream. The white dragoness looked up to see several apes break through the last line of dragons and begin tearing at their backsides. One had grabbed Arcadia, who had shoved Crona out of the way, and now had her by the tail. Crona was still in shock as the ape smiled evilly. A split second later he plunged his claws into her tiny body. Arcadia screamed and blood spattered across the ground and Crona's white scales. The dragoness could only watch in stupefied horror as her friend was ripped apart before her very eyes. The ape dropped the mangled remains of Arcadia and turned his dark eyes on Crona.

"Run," Crona screamed at herself in her mind. "Run!" But her body wouldn't move; all she could do was stand there trembling. Her eyes widened even more when the ape raised its blade high. "Mother...Father..." She squeaked in her mind.

The ape swung and missed. Crona had bolted for the forest, her tiny legs working double overtime to carry her away from the horrors she had just witnessed. The ape hooted and chased after her. The barbarian swung his chained weapon at her, smashing large chunks of trees to bits and breaking logs into piles of splinters. Crona couldn't outrun him forever. She banked around a bush; the ape skidding and tripping over a tree root bought her the precious couple of seconds she needed to scramble up the largest tree she could find. The ape spotted her as she scrambled onto the highest branch she could reach. He shouldered his chained blade and started to climb. Crona screamed in fright when she saw him claw up towards her. The ape swung at her with his claws and missed. Crona started to climb higher, her body already at the point of exhaustion but filled with adrenaline. The branches creaked under her weight as she climbed higher into the canopy. When she grabbed the next branch, it snapped under her weight. Crona squealed and clung to the trunk, digging her claws into the bark.

Down below the ape was closing in, slobber dripping from his jowls and sweat dripping down his face and tainting his matted fur even more. Crona cried pitifully when the image of her mother suddenly flashed into her mind, causing something inside her to snap. Crona dropped from the tree trunk as the ape made a final leap towards her. She evaded his swing almost skillfully and latched her tiny yet powerful jaws onto his throat. The ape made a gargled cry and fell back through the branches with Crona still attached to him. Crona shut her eyes and prayed for a quick end as the wind rushed past her and the tree branches snapped as her enemy fell to the ground.

"Gah!" Crona sat straight up on her pillow cushion, gasping for breath. She looked around, expecting to see forest, but found herself safe in her room. She sighed as she caught her breath and placed a paw on her head. It had been years since the war with the apes and almost two years since the defeat of Malefor the Dark Master, yet the dreams and visions still haunted her. Crona got up and walked over to the mirror that hung on her wall and stared at herself as she did every morning. She picked up the gauntlet that was set on a small pedestal in front of the mirror. It was gold with red markings and was almost an exact replica of the one her mother had given her as a baby. Crona rotated the jewelry in her talons before sliding it onto her left horn as her mother had before. She looked herself over to make sure it looked okay on her before picking up a breastplate with a green gem in the center of it. Crona had to stand on her hind legs to sling it over the back of her neck, but once it clicked, it hung comfortably against her hide.

"Crona, I'm home," Her father, Kryos, called from the other room. Crona gave herself one last look in the mirror to make sure she was presentable to her father. She knew how much he would often worry about her and the more she primped herself the less he seemed to worry.

"Morning, Father." Crona yawned as she padded into the living chamber of the dragon pavilion.

Her father smiled at her. "Crona, it's already early in the afternoon."

"It is?" Crona opened a drape covering a window and turned to look at where the sun hit the carpet. Sure enough, her father was right. "Why didn't you wake me up?" she semi-scolded him.

"You seemed to be fast asleep." Kryos gave a gentle smile. "I didn't want to disturb you."

"Would have done me a favor," Crona muttered to herself. Her father didn't hear her, but he saw the sad look on her face and immediately regretted not having done so. It pained him to see her still unhappy after so many years had passed. Part of him felt responsible for what had happened to her.

Crona the white dragoness was in her mid-teen years, nearly an adult dragon now. Her sleek white scales were generously peppered with grey spots and her horns and talons resembled the color of onyx. In contrast, her eyes were as blue as the sky yet seemed so dark with pain and sorrow. Kryos had tried his hand time and again to help ease his daughter of her pain but each attempt had ended in failure in his eyes. He had seen her grow so much over the years, yet she seemed so distant from everyone around her. Crona was shorter than most dragons her age but was extremely smart. Crona had always been the best and smartest in her education from the elders of the dragon cities. Kryos remembered when the elders had begun implementing breath attacks into the young dragons' training. Crona had been unable to conjure up any sort of element and seemed to feel extremely out of place because of it. Kryos was thankful that she had gotten over the disappointment, but he could still sense a feeling of alienation in her.

"Crona, is there anything I can do for you today?" Kryos asked, breaking the silence.

Crona looked up at him with a blank stare and thought for a long moment. "I'm not sure." She sighed. Her stomach growled and her white cheeks turned a deep crimson.

"How about you think about it after you get some food," Her father suggested. Crona continued to blush but nodded anyways. After a long breakfast she went out to the balcony to sit with the scrolls that she had collected during her travels and began reviewing the notes she had taken. Crona always made it a priority to better herself every day, no matter what the activity was, though most of the time it involved reading and writing.

Crona spent a couple of hours reading over her notes from her travels and waving her paw into the air as if reaching for something that was in front of her. She sighed and closed her eyes. She had spent the last month and a half studying her personal scrolls and adding minor notes here and there to them but hadn't made a tremendous amount of progress. After a few minutes she looked off into the distance beyond the balcony. Her father had pointed in that direction many times before and talked about the great dragon city that lay beyond the mountains: Warfang. Crona had only been there twice in her lifetime. Once when the surviving dragons of the war with the Dark Master had gathered to nominate a new fire guardian and the second when the guardians had made their decision and had elected candidates for earth, lightning, and ice. During that time she had kept to herself by her father, unable to sneak away to the vast libraries she had heard about in the city.

"Father," Crona called back inside. She rolled up her scrolls and put them away in her room before finding her father in his study looking over some maps he owned from his old scouting days in the war. "Father, I think I'm going to take a personal vacation."

Kryos looked up at her in surprise. "All by yourself?" He raised a skeptical brow.

"It wouldn't be the first time," Crona pointed out. "I was just thinking that when we went to Warfang I never got to spend any time by myself there." Crona shifted her front feet slightly, almost nervous to ask, afraid her father would deny her request. "So, I was sort of wondering if you'd let me take a trip there by myself. I know you're busy with the council having you run between the eastern and western city, so..." Her voice trailed off. She was thinking too much again. Though if she continued to ramble on, he may grow bored and accept her proposal.

Kryos looked into his daughter's eyes for a long moment. He knew how much she loved her privacy and how much she adored reading. But as of recent weeks there had been reports of enemy wolves going around and terrorizing the peaceful villages and dragon cities. The western city where they lived had not been hit yet, though Kryos feared an attack any day now. According to the reports, the elder guardians had sent the guardian candidates out to investigate some possible wolf activities at Dante's Freezer, a place Kryos remembered all too well from the war. The candidates had not been heard from since.

However, Kryos' need to please his daughter and make her happy overruled even his strongest parental instincts. He got up and walked over to her and placed a paw on her head. "Alright Crona, you can go on one condition."

"Really?" Crona almost squeaked with excitement.

"As soon as you arrive, you have to send word that you made it safely. The world may be free from the Dark Master but there are still dangers out there. And I want you to avoid any possible dangers in the meantime. Understood?"

"Father, that's two conditions."

Kryos smiled and nuzzled her affectionately. "You've always had a sharp little mind."

Crona giggled and kissed her father on the cheek before running off to pack her scrolls and bags. Kryos watched her go and sighed, somewhat dejected. All he wanted was for her to be happy. He just prayed that one day she truly would be.

Crona soared over the treetops of the landscape. She had left early in the morning after barely sleeping a wink the previous night. The dragoness had stayed up most of the night packing her large side-bags with scrolls and notes, bundling them all neatly together so they wouldn't fall out during the flight. They weighed heavily on her sides but she didn't care. She was so excited to be out on her own and on her way to a new sea of knowledge that she couldn't help but smile anxiously as she flew along with the thermal currents that blew across the horizon.

Her father had indeed seemed hesitant about sending her off, possibly in fear of her getting lost again. Crona had begun to act as if she were going to have to forfeit her personal holiday but her father at last gave in to her will after several pleas to go. Deep down she felt bad about playing such a card in front of her father whom she knew loved her dearly and only wanted the best for her. But Crona knew that he would have given in sooner or later had she stayed anyways.

After the first day of flying, the dragoness settled down in the enchanted forest to rest and check her maps by the early morning sunlight before flying off again. She was making good time: extremely good time. She was exhausted each night but when she awoke each morning her energy was fully restored and after the third day, she could already spot the dragon city of Warfang in the distance.

Crona glided in low over the treetops and squinted into the distance. She could see the battery emplacements along the walls as a main defense against invaders. After a moment of private thought she decided it would be best to land and proceed the rest of the way on foot; no sense in alarming the guards that were on patrol to a dragoness coming by air. She had heard about how elegant the city was from the elder dragons she had grown up around including the former guardian of fire Ignitus. Each testimony had proved more than true when she had visited with her father. She had even gotten to see the legendary purple dragon, Spyro, from a distance; though it had not been the first time she had seen him in her life. However, he would never know she existed; he couldn't. Not with the past she had.

As Crona walked at a quickened pace through the forest she found herself looking up at the mountainous city. Her stare came to rest on a large hole burned into the side of the mountain, and a large portion of the upper levels of the city melted and burned away. The dragoness raised a worried brow.

"Was there an attack?" She thought aloud. "What could have made a blast like that in a city this size?"

The white dragoness's private conversation was interrupted by the sound of hushed voices close by. Crona halted and stopped to listen. The speakers were being careful not to be overheard but Crona could tell they were close. She turned and crept towards the sound and soon a foul odor filled her nostrils. The stench made her curl her lip on instinct as she drew closer to the source.

All at once she froze. Up ahead, no more than ten yards away, were large, fur-covered bodies; wolves, dozens of them. All were spread out and forming around a single grey-furred Alpha male and young black dragon close to Crona's age covered in scars and burn marks. Judging by the way they were huddled down in the underbrush, Crona was immediately certain they weren't friendly forces. Just beyond the trees she could see a line of cheetah warriors and villagers walking past, completely unaware that they were being watched.

"Scraunch," the black dragon whispered darkly without raising his voice. "Yes master?" The Alpha wolf was immediately down on one knee with his head bowed.

"Keep your head up," the dragon ordered harshly. "Did you see that cheetah scout break away from the rest of his tribe?"

"Yes," the wolf nodded.

"I want you to send your next in command and send half of our forces after him. I have a sneaking suspicion he may be going to seek out Spyro and Cynder, wherever they have taken refuge."

"It shall be done." The wolf bobbed his head and swished his tail three times. Another large, copper-colored wolf crept up to them.

"I want you to track him for the time being," the black dragon continued in a low voice. Crona noticed he gave a wince of pain and suddenly black shadows spread out from around his feet and spread through the darkness of the forest. Crona took a frightened step backwards. She had never seen or felt an energy so evil before in her life. The wolves didn't so much as twitch a hair from the sudden dispersal of energy.

A manifestation of Malefor, the Dark Master, looked at Scraunch with grave yellow eyes. "Make sure that your warriors remain unnoticed at all times. I suspect that feline is the sole reason Spyro and Cynder survived the catastrophe at the Well of Souls. If he found them then, he surely is capable of it now. Do I make myself clear?"

"Crystal clear." Scraunch bowed his head again before backing away with the rest of his pack. He turned to the red wolf and pulled him aside to speak in private. "Listen to me, and listen well Tuerto." Scraunch narrowed his yellow eyes at his subordinate. "You and our brothers are to follow that warrior and keep him in your sights at all times. But under no circumstances are you to let him spot you! Is that clear?"

"I understand." Tuerto nodded obediently.

"You are not to attack him until he has located for you the purple dragon and his friends. When you have found them, eliminate them. And be thorough about it! I don't want anyone in my pack making the same foolish mistakes that imbecile Snarl from the Northern pack made! I will not tolerate failure from wolf or dragon for any reason! Is that understood?"

"As you wish." Tuerto nodded with a couple vigorous sweeps of his tail.

Crona stifled a shocked gasp and took a step backwards. A twig snapped beneath her feet and she froze. Every head turned, including the black dragon's. The sounds of footsteps could be heard fading away as Crona turned and slipped back into the underbrush, hurrying away as fast as she could. She had to get to the outer wall of Warfang and warn the guardians and inhabitants of what was going on.

Behind her several of the wolves growled suspiciously. Tuerto raised his hand and pointed it like a spear in the direction of the disturbance. He flicked his fingers four times and four of the mutant wolves slipped into the forest in response to his silent command. The beasts charged after the fresh scent that had been so close to them moments before that they were amazed they had not noticed it sooner.

Up ahead, Crona was struggling to push through the thick underbrush of the forest because her bags and scrolls kept snagging on branches and thorns.

"Damn it!" She cursed aloud and immediately realized her mistake. The sound of her voice alerted the mutant wolves to her presence and they snarled excitedly. They burst through the undergrowth and barreled toward the white dragoness. Crona gasped and rolled away as they swung their crude weapons at her. The nearest wolf turned and slashed with his claws, tearing away Crona's bright crimson cape that draped over her back. The dragoness staggered back as another wolf leaped over her, blocking her path of escape. He reached down and snatched her up in his claws and Crona screamed. On instinct she slashed with her talons and raked the wolf's eyes. The mutant growled irritatedly and dropped her as he stumbled back into a tree, clutching at his face.

Crona rolled across the ground, evading another heavy blade as it slammed into the ground where her head had been a second before. These wolves were no ordinary warriors; they were far more vicious than the apes she had remembered. Another attacker reached out and grabbed her bag of scrolls, trying to pull her closer to his deadly weapon. Crona jerked and tore away from her harness, her scrolls and notes falling to the ground. The wolf gave a low bark and stepped on them, moving closer towards the dragoness. Seeing her hard work get trampled underfoot by the beast infuriated the white dragoness. As the wolves closed in around her, Crona let her eye lids droop as she began to concentrate. In her mind's eye she could see the magic flow of the world around her; the blue mist. The energy began to take physical form around her and the wolves paused a second to glance nervously at one another. Their hesitation was all Crona needed. With a cry she unleashed the magical energy in a devastating shock wave. The wolves howled and were flung through several trees before coming to a stop along the smoking ground.

Crona stood panting from the sudden exertion. She hadn't had to use this sort of attack in a long time and she was clearly out of shape, although her magic skills never seemed to fade with the passage of time. Crona walked over to her scrolls and notes and looked at them sadly. They were all the ones she had gathered and written on using magic from the world. She began to gather them up as best she could into her torn side-bags which she loved so much.

"Brutish beasts." She grumbled to herself as she inspected the damage they had caused. A rustle from behind her caught her attention and her head snapped around. The mutant wolf lunged for her, claws outstretched and Crona gasped. She squeezed her eyes shut and the wolf stopped in mid-leap. Crona cracked one eye and saw the sharp, deadly claws only inches from her. The wolf stared at her, its body and blood-lustful expression frozen in time; but only temporarily. Crona moved to the side and released her hold on time. The wolf hit the ground and ate dirt. Immediately another wolf sprang at her and Crona dodged again. The third wolf came barreling out of the trees, swinging its claws wildly. Crona ducked under a swipe and rolled into the canine's backwards knees, knocking it to the ground. The fourth wolf dropped from the treetops and Crona's eyes widened. Time slowed down and she ducked out of the way before letting the mutant swing its weapon to hit nothing but air. The first wolf lunged again and Crona dodged; the second followed close and soon all four were diving at her, trying to land a single strike, but Crona's ability to control time was proving to be the key to her survival.

However, the more she used this ability, the more exhausted she became. Crona's vision was beginning to blur as her body and mind began to reach its limits. The closest canine swung its bladed weapon and Crona slowed time to leap over it. She had just barely cleared the blade's range before it whistled beneath her paws. The white dragoness hit the ground and wobbled on her feet. Another swipe came from behind and she ducked below it before slamming her tail across the attacker's muzzle, snapping his head around violently. The mutants were closing in more and more, leaving her less and less room to maneuver.

It wasn't until Crona backed into one of the mutants that she realized the seriousness of the situation to its fullest extent. The canine she backed into pinned her down and another held her fast to keep her from getting away. Crona's mind was too flustered to tap into the magic around her again. She had already used up too much energy manipulating the flow of time. The two standing wolves grabbed their blades that stuck into the earth and stared down at Crona with blood-thirsty anticipation shining in their yellow eyes.

Crona's heart stopped when she saw them raise their blades over their heads. "Father!" She sobbed in her mind as a few tears escaped her eyes as she thought back to her poor father at home wondering if she was all right. "Father!" She screamed and suddenly the ground shook. The mutants staggered back as the white dragoness began to glow and her energy covered the woods in a pure, white light. The energy detached from Crona and hovered above the group of combatants. After a moment the orb of light flashed brighter and swirled into a portal with billowing blue and white clouds. The wolves barked and yelped in surprise as they felt themselves get pulled towards it and dug their weapons and claws into the earth to get a better grip. Their efforts met in failure and after releasing Crona, all five of them were sucked into the light which vanished a split second later. Crona wailed helplessly as she tumbled head over heels, beating her wings madly, trying to turn herself upright, whichever way was up in this place. The wolves howled and barked in confusion but stopped when they spotted the dragoness. They turned their attention to her and snarled menacingly. Crona saw what was coming and curled her lips at them, showing her teeth. She gave an angry roar and suddenly the wolves were blasted backwards. The force sent Crona tumbling and flailing again. She continued to scream until a brilliant flash of light turned her world dark.


	2. Chapter 2

Crona's head spun; her body was weak. She opened her eyes and saw nothing but fuzz. She squeezed them shut and waited for the spinning and throbbing in her body to stop, but it didn't. The white dragoness lay on the ground for some time, motionless, hoping to recover quickly. After several hours of silence she gave up on trying to fall asleep or relieve herself of the thundering pain that had taken up residence in her head. Crona forced herself onto her feet and wobbled from the vertigo. She was still in the forest but there was no sign of the wolves that had attacked her, much less any signs that a fight had gone on in the first place. Every tree and bush was untouched by battle and the sky was dimming into an early evening sunset. Crona couldn't see the towering outer wall of Warfang anymore. Instead, all she could see were vast tree-covered hills stretching into the distance.

The dragoness looked down and saw the tattered remains of her scroll harness laying limply across the ground. Her scrolls were there as well; dirty, crumpled and slightly torn from being trampled beneath the feet of the beasts that had attacked her. Crona took a step towards them and suddenly everything spun out of control. She turned her head sharply and wretched onto the ground. The last bits of food from her breakfast were all expelled onto the ground before her. Crona groaned sickeningly and nearly collapsed again. She had never felt so horrible before in her life. After taking some time to settle her stomach enough to move, she wiped her mouth and returned to her harness. The dragoness gathered her scrolls and picked up the ragged sacks in her jaws. The leather was dirty but it tasted better than the lingering vomit in her mouth.

A loud hoot in the distance brought her back to reality. Darkness would be here soon.

"I have to get moving," She groaned as she staggered off blindly into the forest. "I could be in real trouble if I stay here."

"Alright everyone, that was a very good start for today's lesson." The master dragoness commended her class of young dragons. "We will continue working on aerial maneuvers tomorrow. For now you are dismissed for the day."

The young dragons all filed out of the learning pavilion and into the corridors. A young lightning dragon walked along side a female ice dragoness of the same age. Their friends and classmates all stepped aside to give them room and smiled politely to them. Amp and Terra walked to the end of the hall, their tails intertwined lovingly with one another.

"Well, we have a few hours until it gets dark again." Terra gazed at the yellow dragon's purple eyes. "What do you want to do?"

Amp was a dragon in his early teenage years, just coming of age in his maturity and dragon training. His body was a slim build but toned with lean muscle. His deep violet underbelly and horns were an admirable contrast to his golden yellow hide. A pendant hung around his neck in the shape of a flat crown; a gift from his parents.

The lightning dragon smiled and spread his wings. "Follow me," he said, trying to act cool and casual about it. He took off into the air with Terra following close behind. The two lovers flew for several minutes in silence, just glancing over at one another giving flirty, seductive, loving grins. In the late afternoon sun, Amp was able to take in all of Terra's beauty for what it was. Her scales were light grey and her navy blue underbelly matched the color of the five horns that surrounded her head. Amp smiled and bit his lower lip when his eyes locked with her yellow-green ones. The ice dragoness smiled and blushed slightly; she knew what he was doing and her reaction had never changed over the years. The two of them knew each other better than anyone else ever would.

After about ten minutes of flying, Terra spoke. "So where are we going exactly?"

"Just exploring." Amp smiled at her, still trying to act cool.

"Oh, really?" Terra rolled her eyes playfully. "Is that all we're doing?"

Amp shrugged and put on a fake pouty face and looked down over the treetops of the vast, enchanted forest. "Well, we haven't been out here much, especially as of late." Then he narrowed his eyes at her and a big goofy grin spread across his mouth. "Especially just the two of us."

Terra narrowed her eyes at him seductively. "Oh Ampy, you draconic stallion, you. What will you think of next?" The lightning dragon's cheeks flushed at the sound of his pet name. "Do you have any idea where we're going?" Terra giggled upon seeing his reaction.

"Nope," Amp stated almost proudly. "But my exploration instincts are telling me to go where we haven't gone before." Now it was Terra's turn to blush. The ice particles that covered her body melted from heat on her cheeks. She turned away from her love and looked down at the forest rushing by underneath them.

"Hey, are you alright?" Amp asked, brushing her side with a wingtip.

"I'm heavenly, Ampy," Terra replied, shooting him a wink out of the corner of her eye.

Amp grinned excitedly and the rows of prickly quills that lined his head and back stood erect. He loved making Terra smile. He almost considered it his purpose in life. As he turned to look down at the ground again he saw a flash of white amongst the trees. The yellow dragon back-winged and turned to hover in the air.

"Amp? What's wrong?" Terra banked around to hover beside him.

"I could have sworn I saw something." Amp narrowed his eyes as he scanned the trees. He glided towards the ground in a large spiral, surveying the area thoroughly. Terra stayed on his tail, giving quick sweeps of the forest. Just as they were about ten yards from the treetops, she gave a cry.

"There!" She exclaimed and beat her wings against the wind.

"Hey! Wait for me!" Amp called and chased after her.

Terra dove down and tucked her wings into her body as they entered the tree tops. She extended her claws outward and caught the first sturdy branch available before bouncing off onto another lower one. Amp followed her lead all the way to the ground where they stood before a white dragoness laying on the forest floor.

"Whoa," Amp gasped with wide eyes. The dragoness's scales were as white as the purest snow speckled generously with grey spots. Her crests and underbelly were a deep indigo, almost black, but nowhere near as dark as her onyx-colored horns and talons. Her gold jewelry made her look almost like royalty, though lots of dragons that Amp and Terra knew wore elaborate gems and stones to show off their worth.

The dragoness groaned and cracked one eye to look up at them and struggled to lift her head and speak. But her throat was too parched from lack of water and her strength had left her long ago and she passed out at their feet.

Crona staggered on for days in a dull haze. She refused to relinquish her scroll carrier in fear of losing all she had left with her. Several times she had come across trickling creeks branching off from the Silver River but the water had been too dirty and putrid to drink. The fruits that grew from the trees were either too little to eat or too poisonous for dragons to consume. By the fourth day she was starting to wear down significantly, barely being able to pick herself off the ground to walk.

At last she couldn't move another step and slumped against a tree trunk. She looked up at the night sky and let her head lean against the tree. The stars twinkled brightly against the darkness of the forest around her. The view would have been spectacular to Crona under better circumstances, but she was too tired and lost to care. "Father," she whispered, her voice cracking for the first time in many years. "Help me." She slid off the tree trunk and laid her head on her side bags. "Someone, help me." The last sounds she remembered were her sobs before she slipped into a deep slumber.

Crona and the ape hit the ground hard, rendering both of them unconscious. The white hatchling still clung to her assailant's throat, her tiny jaws clamped tightly around its jugular. The sounds of the battle continued to rage in the distance as dragons and apes roared and hollered. Hours passed and the sounds of the fight died away almost as quickly as they had come. The night dragged on without any movement from the ape or Crona. The signs of daybreak began to appear over the horizon and the early morning sun broke through the trees.

A single beam hit the ape right in the eyes. After a few minutes the baboon curled his lip and cracked his eyes open to look around. The hatchling was still clasping his throat in a tight pinch but not enough to break his neck or inflict a fatal bite. The barbarian pulled her off and dropped her to the ground before rubbing his neck and staring at the blood that had been drawn by the little dragoness. He snarled at her and spat on her before staggering to his feet and grabbing her by the tail. The ape trudged deeper into the forest, dragging the baby behind him in one hand and his chained blade in the other. When he was certain he was far enough from anyone to bother him he set Crona down and licked his blade.

Crona twitched slightly and the ape smiled. He raised his weapon high over his head, waiting for the white hatchling to open its eyes in time to be impaled. A sudden thump and an angry roar broke the ape from his blood-crazed trance and a tail blade plunged through his chest. The baboon coughed hard and blood spattered from his open wound, nose, eyes and mouth. With a sharp yank he was pulled off his feet and stared into the furious Orange eyes of Kryos. What little blood the ape had left practically turned to water as the male dragon bared his teeth at the filthy ape. With a swish of his tail he tore the ape in half, sending its remains flying into the trees so the crows could feast on his carcass later.

Kryos wiped his tail blade on the grass, cleaning as much blood off it as he could before leaning down towards his daughter and nuzzling her slightly. Crona whimpered and cracked her eyes open. Kryos sighed and smiled to himself, thankful that at least she was alive. He took her tail in his massive jaws and gently picked her up off the ground before setting her down on his back between his shoulder blades.

"Daddy," Crona sniffled in a voice almost too quiet to hear. "It hurts." Her sniffling became louder as her father headed for the dragon's base camp. The sound of her weeping hurt Kryos' ears and pained his heart even more. "Everything hurts."

Kryos sighed sadly. "I know."

A cold damp cloth brought Crona's consciousness back. She moaned and her eyelids twitched. She felt the cool refreshment against her still throbbing head. Water trickled down her forehead and across her muzzle before puddling up under her chin. Little droplets got caught in between her lips and Crona opened her mouth to swallow them. The tiny water droplets gave her even more refreshment than the cloth against her head. Crona opened her eyes and looked around but saw nothing but white. She moaned again and started to lift her head.

"Oh, you're awake," a voice spoke and Crona froze on instinct. A second later a paw slid the cloth back farther on her head, letting the liquid residue trickle down the back of her neck. Crona shivered and looked into Terra's yellow-green eyes. "It's good to see you're finally with us." She smiled warmly. "You've been in and out of consciousness for a few days now."

"A few days?" Crona tried to exclaim but her exclamation came out as more of a wheeze than anything. She coughed hard and turned her head away.

"Here," Terra murmured. She wrapped her tail around a small basin beside the door and pulled it closer to Crona. "Drink this. You're probably still dehydrated."

Crona looked down at the clear, pure water in front of her before leaning down to lap it up. Before long she was greedily gulping down the cool liquid, every drop soothing her parched throat and wetting her mouth completely.

"Wow," Terra giggled with an amused look as Crona licked the last droplets from her snout. "And here I thought I drank a lot." Crona paused and her cheeks flushed slightly. Terra realized what she said and waved a paw apologetically. "Sorry, that was rude of me."

"N-no," Crona stammered. "If anything it was rude of me."

Terra giggled again. "Then let's just say we are both sorry in our own terms."

Crona cracked a subtle smirk. "Fair enough," she nodded considerately and began to look around the room for the first time. It was a fairly plain room, white walls, stone floor, a window on one end and a balcony on the other. The late afternoon sun shone in through the balcony and Terra found herself staring out at the sky beyond with Crona.

"It's a nice view isn't it?" Terra smiled inwardly.

"Yes, it is," Crona replied and turned back to the ice dragoness. "If you don't mind my frankness," she started. "Who are you?"

Terra's head whipped back around and her cheeks flushed. "Oh! Forgive me! Where are my manners? My name is Terra. And yours?"

"Crona," the white dragoness replied, almost as if she were trying to remember herself. "My name is Crona."

Terra smiled kindly. "Well it's a pleasure to make your acquaintance Crona. You had us worried for a while."

"Us?"

"Yes, me and my family."

Crona would have smacked herself did she have the energy. "Of course she'd have family to live with," She thought to herself. "She's still too young to be out on her own." But then she recalled her own personal experiences and immediately felt ashamed of herself. "So, you live here with your family?" She continued to make small talk, hoping not to be rude.

"Yup." Terra nodded, ignoring the change of expression on Crona's face. "Me, my mom, my dad, my sister and Amp. All of us under one roof."

"Wow, that's a lot," Crona thought to herself. She had never lived with anyone other than her father and mother before so this was all new to her. "And you said you have a little sister?" Crona found this particular detail rather intriguing. Siblings were rarely heard of in the western dragon city, especially during the war when most young dragons were hunted down or slaughtered in raids by Malefor's forces.

"Yeah." Terra nodded with a slight shrug. "She's your typical sibling, but she's family."

"Ah," Crona nodded dumbly, clearly not knowing anything about having a sibling of her own. Terra seemed to notice and smiled genuinely. The sound of claws against the stone drew closer and Crona turned her head towards the curtain that covered the doorway. Terra glanced over her shoulder and rolled her eyes.

"Speaking of whom, you can come in. It's alright."

Crona cocked her head sideways curiously. A moment later a tiny head poked out from under the curtain. The little lightning dragoness was about four years old, five at the most. Her pale yellow scales blended almost perfectly with her dull beige breast scales. Her eyes were dark brown but with a subtle hint of gold in them. They stared up at Crona in wide-eyed fascination. When Crona's eyes locked with hers, the little dragoness hid behind her big sister.

"Say hi, Maya," Terra said, insisting that her little sibling mind her manners.

"H-hello," The little dragoness squeaked nervously.

"How do you do?" Crona asked, trying to sound as motherly as possible but sounding more like a drill master than anything.

Without so much as a blink, Maya ran from behind her sister and onto Crona's bed, nuzzling against her. The action surprised the white dragoness and Crona jumped in surprise.

"Maya, what have we told you about manners around strangers and guests!" Terra scolded. The little lightning dragoness sulked and buried her head into Crona's wing. "I'm sorry," Terra apologized, walking over and shoving her little sister away from Crona. "She always acts shy around others, and then when they show her the slightest bit of friendliness, she's all over them." She gave her sister a more forced shove off the pillow. "Go on Maya, I think you've made our guest feel welcome enough for one day." Maya pouted and stomped her little feet as she left the room.

Crona watched her go with a bewildered look on her face. No one had ever been so affectionate towards her except her father.

"Sorry again." Terra smirked as she sat down in front of Crona again.

"I-it's alright. Really." Crona swallowed hard trying to hide her embarrassment. She was still a little unsure of what to make of the situation. Then the sounds of beating wings came from down the hall and heavier footsteps began to approach.

"Oh! It sounds like everyone's coming back." Terra turned and moved the curtain with a wing. "Hi dad!" She called.

"Hello Terra," A deep firm voice replied from down the hall. "How is our guest doing? Any better?"

"Yup!" Terra chirped. "She's finally woken up!" Terra moved away from the curtain as a large ice dragon ducked beneath it, letting the drapery flow off his proud muscular body. Behind him a lightning dragoness poked her head in and gave a motherly smile.

"Oh good, you're awake. I'll bring you something to eat, you poor dear." She ducked back into the hall giving Amp the room he needed to squeeze into the room and stand beside Terra. Maya followed him and sidled up next to him, giving her big sister a pouty look. Terra only grimaced at her and Maya stuck her tongue out.

Terra's father Nitrus looked Crona over again, now that she was awake. "How do you feel, young lady?" He asked, trying to sound gentle but succeeding as much as Crona did in trying to be motherly towards Maya.

"I'm well, thank you." Crona struggled to get to her feet but her strength had not quite returned yet.

"You can refrain from the formalities my dear." Nitrus chuckled, seeing her attempt fail. "When you're here, you're family."

"Uh, thank you," Crona almost squeaked as she sank back into the cushion. Terra's mother returned and Nitrus stepped out of her way as she was carrying a wooden tray of sliced fruits assorted in a neat and orderly fashion. She set the tray down in front of Crona, who sniffed at the sweet-scented fruits with great interest before taking a large slice of melon in her jaws. Terra's mother watched with a pleased smile on her face as Crona swallowed mouthful after mouthful of sliced fruit before gobbling up the berries around the rim of the tray. When she was done, Crona felt a hundred times better than she had in days.

"My goodness, you must have been starving," Terra's mother gasped almost in shock. Crona immediately felt her cheeks flush. She hadn't intended to appear as being greedy but this was the first food she had eaten in days.

"S-sorry," Crona stammered. "I should have offered you all some too."

"Oh piffle!" Terra's mom chuckled. "No need to apologize. A young dragoness like you needs to eat. You're reaching that age where you need to be at your most fit."

"Anyways!" Terra interrupted, stepping in before her mom could start the talk with Crona that she had with her so many times before. "Dad, Mom, this is Crona," Terra introduced taking a stand next to Amp and shoving her sister out of the way playfully. Maya whined and goose-stepped to Amp's opposite side and glared at her big sister.

Nitrus bowed deeply, something Crona had never seen any dragon do before her and to her so formally. "It is an honor to have you here Crona. I'm sure you've been introduced to my daughters Terra and Maya. And this is my life mate Thundra."

Thundra bowed just as deeply. "Charmed I'm sure, my dear."

"Uh, yeah." Crona's mouth hung open dumbly. No dragon, let alone family had ever been this welcoming of her before. The only exception had been Ignitus all those years before.

"And this strapping young lad is Ampus." Nitrus turned and looked down at Amp who blushed at the sound of his full name being used. "And I am ice guardian Nitrus. Young Amp here is training to become the next guardian of lightning."

Ice guardian? Lightning guardian? Crona's eyes crossed in confusion. The only guardian of ice she knew was Master Cyril who resided in the dragon city of Warfang. "I thought Stella was going to be the next lightning guardian," Crona pondered aloud, unaware that she was speaking openly. She remembered the name and face of the lightning dragoness from her studies with the western city elders but had never taken the time to get to know her closely.

"Stella? Who's that?" Terra asked curiously looking from Crona to Amp. Crona's head snapped up to see everyone watching her with curious eyes.

"Oh, uh," her face was turning a deep shade of crimson and her heart was racing. "N-nothing. I was just thinking out loud. Don't mind me." She chuckled nervously, hoping they'd buy her act.

"Well Crona," Nitrus started, breaking the awkwardness of the situation, much to Crona's relief. "You are more than welcome to stay here as long as it takes you to recover."

"Th-thank you." Crona nodded again, still struggling to regain her composure.

"Do you have any family we can send word to that you are alright?" Thundra asked.

"I..." Crona's voice trailed off. She was supposed to let her father know when she had reached Warfang. No doubt he was already worried about her and in a desperate panic trying to find her. "I should let my father know where I am," Crona muttered darkly. She was already feeling bad about taking this personal vacation; how selfish of her to leave her father to worry.

"Alright then. We will send word to Avalar to recruit a cheetah carrier falcon to send word to your father." Thundra nodded understandingly, relieved that the young dragoness had relatives she could turn to. "But in the meantime I think you should get some rest and we will deal with this in the morning. You can share the room with Terra until you feel comfortable sleeping elsewhere."

"Sorry Ampy." Terra shrugged and gave him a kiss on the cheek. The lightning dragon looked a little hurt but felt it was an acceptable sacrifice for someone else in greater need.

"It's okay Ampy!" Maya chirped excitedly. "You can stay with me in my room!"

"Sorry," Terra snickered and gave her love a playful elbow. Amp only chuckled slightly and followed Maya to her room where she would no doubt be up all night trying to talk to him.

The night sky was a deep blue against the darkness of the mountains. A black dragon raced through the forest as fast as his legs could carry him. The forest was far too dense for him to fly safely, restricting his method of travel to the ground. The cold wind rushed against his glossy black scales but his whole body was numb. The only thing he could feel was his burning, aching lungs and the throbbing of his heart in his chest. All around, branches and twigs stung his hide as he rushed through the dense underbrush. The dragon closed his eyes as he barreled through a thick thorn bush, paying no attention to the long needles that scratched his tough scales.

His heavy breathing was the only thing he could hear until a shriek cut through the air. The black dragon stopped and turned around. "Sis!" He cried. Another scream and an excited whoop followed; then silence. The black dragon was shaking like the leaves in the trees above. He squeezed his eyes shut as tears rolled down his cheeks. "No," he thought to himself. "I... I can..." The sudden sounds of objects moving swiftly through the trees interrupted his thoughts. The black dragon turned and ran as three apes dropped from the overhanging branches. The baboons missed but took chase anyways. Several more joined in the pursuit, whooping and hollering at the tops of their lungs in eager, bloodthirsty delight.

On the ground, young dragons were fast but fully grown apes like these were much faster with their stronger arms to propel them along through the tree branches.

One of the larger apes quickly caught up to the black dragon and grabbed the bone blade slung over his shoulder. He swung onto another branch before making a dive towards the black dragon. The ape laughed and wrapped his claws around the dragon's throat. The dragon snarled and flailed, trying to shake the heavy beast off of him. The ape only scoffed at the dragon's attempts and brought its bone up to slit the dragon's throat open. At the last second the black dragon squirmed away and bit the ape in the face. The ape pulled his blade back and squalled in pain as the skin from his snout was torn away. The blade cut deep into the dragon's chest scales, exposing him almost to the bone. The black dragon screamed in pain but hit the ground running.

The other apes hooted furiously as they continued the chase. Their prey was already wearing down and his stamina had been significantly reduced from the mortal blow from the ape's weapon.

The baboons chased the wounded dragon until he came to a halt at the edge of a cliff. Down below was a roaring waterfall that led from the mountains and would eventually flow into the silver river. The apes leaped from the darkness of the tree branches and formed up around the black dragon, pushing him towards the cliff edge more. The dragon stood gasping for breath, making hesitant glances over his shoulder then back to the apes. The filthy barbarians sneered as the dragon prepared to make his last stand.

A loud roar echoed through the mountains and sounded like a shriek with a crack of lightning. The three nearest apes were hit with the sonic blast and sent flying back into the splintering trees. Another ape moved in to attack and was given another blast of wind. The dragon's attack cut into the ape's flesh, tearing his skin from his bones before sending the bloody rag doll into the forest where it lay still.

The black dragon turned as another of the larger apes lunged for him. The baboon swung its dagger and the black dragon ducked. The dodge was not fast enough and a large gash opened up across the dragon's forehead. The ape smirked seeing the dragon's blood spatter across the ground; he was so thrilled he neglected to notice the falling dragon's bladed tail coming around from the side. The spiked tail blade plunged into the ape's jugular. The creature staggered back as his own blood gushed from his neck and onto his fur. More of his comrades pushed past him, howling furiously and clawing at the black dragon, still on the ground. The apes grabbed, tore and stabbed at him with everything they had. The dragon snarled, bit and clawed furiously trying to get away from the daggers, claws and jaws inflicting serious wounds on him. With one last desperate roar he blasted the apes with a sonic gust of wind. The bodies went flying everywhere, some into the tress, across the open ground and several off the cliff edge.

The young dragon gasped for breath, severely winded after such a harsh attack. His wounds were covered in dirt and fur and his blood spilled across the ground. With a loud groan he collapsed on his hindquarters, clutching at a stab wound in his gut with a bloody paw.

More apes were beginning to show up and surround him once again. There was no way he would survive another onslaught like the previous one. The black dragon forced himself to rise and face his foes through his only good eye; the other had a deep slash through it, forcing him to keep his eye shut. Blood dripped from his mouth and nose and he sucked in a deep breath, ready to unleash another blast of wind.

Just as he was expecting an attack, the apes began to recede into the shadows of the trees and a single figure stepped forward. The black dragon exhaled in shock and surprise, then grit his teeth furiously. The red-eyed figure smiled and waved a paw at the black dragon as if saying goodbye.

The black dragon gave an enraged roar. He ignored the burning and throbbing of his body and flung himself at the figure. A thunderous roar echoed through the mountains and the black dragon screamed. The sonic air blast hit him full force and sent him flying back over the cliff edge. The figure smiled and disappeared into the darkness of the forest as the black dragon's screams died away, drowned out by the roar of the waterfall.


	3. Chapter 3

Crona woke up late the following morning. The sun from the balcony shone into the room and warmed her hindquarters and raising her body temperature. She shrugged and opened her eyes, scooting away from the sun beam; not that she didn't like basking, just not while she slept. Crona was about to go to sleep again when she realized that she was alone. Her head jerked up and she looked around the empty room.

"Terra?" The pillow the two of them had been laying on was empty except for her. Crona heard footsteps in the hall and turned as Thundra appeared from behind the curtain.

"Good morning Crona." She bowed with a gentle smile. "Did you sleep well?"

Crona nodded. "I slept about as well as I usually do."

"Well good." Thundra continued to smile missing the subtle hint of sarcasm in the dragoness's response. "I'm sorry to say Terra, Amp and Maya are at the academy right now. They'll be back later this afternoon."

"Academy?" Crona raised a brow. She had never heard of there being a dragon academy before. When growing up she had learned from the elders in the local temple. "Like at a temple or something?"

"Oh no," Thundra shook her head. "We have special academies to teach our young dragons the ways of the elders. It's where they go to learn their flying abilities, breath attacks and the history of our ancestors so they may better themselves for future generations to prosper."

"Huh," was all Crona could manage to utter. It sounded almost exactly like what she had gone through as a child. Yet somehow it all felt different from the way Thundra's tone of voice came out. It was like she had never experienced a hardship and this dragon academy was the greatest thing in the world. As off as everything sounded, Crona began to find herself intrigued by the idea. "Do they teach magic there?"

Thundra's smile grew wider. "Ah, my dear, very few dragons rise to the level of being able to learn any sort of magic from the elders. You have to prove yourself to be of the highest character in their eyes and excel in every other field of study."

"Really," Crona almost wanted to grumble in disappointment. She had no breath attacks and therefore her skill in magic and control over time and space were her only true areas of expertise in terms of harnessing the elements.

"Yes, I have never seen anyone be considered enough outside of guardian ranks to be chosen to learn high level magic. Magic around here is considered an outside element beyond our natural breath attacks and is therefore regarded as a form of enlightenment to a greater power." Thundra sighed and looked out across the city beyond the balcony. "I hope that one day Amp and Terra may reach a higher purpose than what they are right now. Though the unfortunate thing about time is that nothing is ever certain."

"It's only natural." Crona pointed out, getting to her feet and walking with Thundra to the balcony, paying no attention to the city at all. "Every parent wants their child to become something special."

"Indeed." Thundra nodded and looked down at the white dragoness. Crona was coming across as far more intelligent and mature than she had first imagined.

"But you know," Crona continued and looked down at her talons sadly. "Being special isn't all it's cracked up to be. Sometimes being special is more of a curse than a blessing."

Thundra's smile faded. "You sound like you speak from experience." Crona didn't reply. Thundra's smile quickly returned. "Very well then Crona. I will cherish your words and only hope that Amp and Terra may grow up happy and strive to be the best that they can be." With that she cheerfully trotted back into the pavilion leaving Crona to her self. When the dragoness turned around she got her first real look at the extensive dragon city and her jaw dropped. She spread her wings and fluttered up to a hovering position above the balcony. Buildings stretched as far as her eyes could see. The pavilion was on an inclining hill leading towards the top of a small mountain. Bellow her were residential dragon pavilions, each section being more elaborate than the next as they went up the hill. Judging by the way their pavilion was decorated, Crona could tell that Nitrus and his family were in high standings in this dragon society. As Crona looked up the hill she noticed taller buildings that stretched to a great temple at the top of the hill. Around it were slightly smaller temples, all resembling ancient Greek architecture with gothic and oriental designs interwoven with the structures. The largest temple was a towering spire with a staircase that spiraled around it to the dome high above.

"That must be where the Guardians meet." Crona muttered to herself. Then a thought popped into her head. She landed back on the balcony and wandered out to find Thundra. She found her in a study a couple rooms across the main chamber of the pavilion. The inside was far larger than Crona had ever seen any dragon pavilion. The main chamber could have easily roomed a dozen adult dragons and each room was large enough to fit another seven. Thundra spotted the young dragoness taking in the sights and got up from her cushion she was laying on.

"Is everything alright Crona?"

"Y-yeah," Crona shook her head snapping out of her daze. "I just had a question, that's all."

"Oh? By all means ask away. We have nothing to hide here." Thundra sat on her haunches and smiled down at Crona.

Crona swallowed hard. "Your mate, Nitrus. He said he was the guardian of ice. And Amp is a candidate to become the next lightning guardian? Is that right?"

"That's correct." Thundra nodded. "Nitrus is helping train Amp to become a guardian when he's old enough one day."

Crona's lips twisted up as she thought over Thundra's words. "Is Amp the only candidate for guardian? Or is there another dragon, or dragoness that he's training with?"

"Oh no, Amp is the only one training to become guardian right now. His father was the first guardian of lightning but passed away several years ago due to illness. Therefore his son Amp will take his place when his training is complete."

"Volteer?" Crona lowered her head and felt a deep sense of despair.

"Volteer?" Thundra raised a brow skeptically. "Who is Volteer?"

"The guardian of ligh..." Crona raised her head to speak but her voice cut off when she saw Thundra's perplexed stare. "Never mind." Crona shook her head. "Is Nitrus the first ice guardian?"

"Yes he is." Thundra almost sparked with a sense of pride. "He was chosen out of a group of nearly twenty males to become protector of our world using the element of ice."

"I see." Crona muttered staring at the floor hard. Her head was starting to hurt from thinking about what she was hearing.

"Crona, are you alright?" Thundra asked leaning down towards her. "You look like something is on your mind?"

"N-no. No! I-it's nothing. Really."

"Are you sure? If you need to talk I'm more than willing to listen."

"I'm fine. Really." Crona insisted. Her eyes came to fall upon a few sheets of paper behind Thundra and she suddenly remembered. "My scrolls!" She gasped, looking around with a panicked look on her face. "I lost my scrolls in the forest!"

"Oh, you mean these?" Thundra turned and walked over to a bright red cloth and took it delicately in her jaws. She set it down in front of Crona and unraveled it with her talons. Inside were the scrolls Crona had been carrying around with her. "Amp and Terra brought these back when they found you alone in the enchanted forest. You were laying on them when they found you but Terra assumed they were important so she carried them back herself."

"Oh thank you!" Crona chirped excitedly and practically flung herself on her scrolls. Thundra smiled as Crona scooped her notes and studies up in her arms before setting them down on the cloth again. "I don't suppose I could use a writing instrument from you could I? I want to write something down."

"Absolutely." Thundra nodded and turned to a corner where a collection of ink wells and feather pens sat. "I'm assuming you know how to write?" Crona almost laughed out loud and Thundra even had to emit a slight chuckle at the silliness of her question. "I suppose you wouldn't ask if you didn't."

"Thank you very much." Crona put on a fake smile to keep her real thoughts from showing upon her face. She took her scrolls back to Terra's room out on the balcony and returned for the ink well, carrying it nimbly between her talons. Thundra continued to smile as she watched the white dragons disappear into her daughter's room again.

"What a strange young dragoness." She thought to herself before returning to her previous tasks.

Crona spent several hours out on the balcony sunning herself and scribbling down her thoughts. Her mind was a cluster of flustered thoughts and ideas. At last she had to stop and take a break. She was rubbing her forehead with the ball of her paw and looking over her notes and was almost appalled at the utter mess of thoughts she had jot down on her scrolls.

"None of this makes any sense." She muttered to herself. "How can this Nitrus guy be the guardian when the last I heard it was Master Cyril and Stella was supposed to be in training for guardian?" She groaned in frustration as she recalled Thundra's explanation. "Wait, didn't she say Nitrus was the first guardian?" She had originally thought that Thundra meant the first ice guardian from their city but now she was beginning to wonder if she meant the first guardian ever. "But how can that be possible?" She stared down at her notes unaware of the approaching footsteps from behind her.

"Hey Crona." Terra called. She and Amp entered her room and saw the white dragoness out on the balcony with her head in her paw. "Are we interrupting you at all?"

Crona's head snapped around in surprise. She had gotten so deep into her thinking that she had drowned out the rest of the world. "N-no." She almost squeaked.

"You look a little stressed." Terra pointed out. "Everything okay?"

"Y-yeah." Crona nodded getting to her feet. Her head was starting to hurt again; it was a sign that she had been thinking too much again.

"Well, if you want, Amp and I were thinking about showing you around the city so you can get a chance to see what is what around here."

"That is if you're not too busy." Amp added seeing the scrolls scattered about on before her.

"No not at all." Crona chuckled nervously. "I'd love to see your city. It seems like it would be interesting."

"Alright then." Terra smiled with an eager nod. "You need help cleaning up at all before we go?"

"I've got it." Crona shook her head. "I'll meet you two outside in a minute." Terra and Amp smiled and ducked back under the curtain. When their footsteps disappeared Crona turned back to her scrolls. With a wave of her paw the scrolls rolled up and clustered together in a neat pile. With another wave of her paw Crona set them down in the corner of Terra's room before picking up the ink well in her talons and returning it to Thundra's study.

The city was much larger down in the streets than Crona had originally expected. As Amp and Terra escorted her through the streets showing her the other pavilions and leading her up the hill towards the upper levels of the city.

"This is the temple where the masters and guardians congregate to discuss current events." Amp pointed to an elaborately decorated domed temple with Corinthian columns lining its halls. "When I become guardian one day, I'll be able to join the other elders in their political debates here and help make the city a better place to live."

"Not that it isn't already perfect already." Terra rolled her eyes. "There are no conflicts between neighbors. Everyone works for the better of one another and not just themselves."

"It's like nothing bad has ever happened." Crona finished.

"Well, we aren't without tragedy of course." Terra nuzzled Amp's cheek comfortingly and Crona realized what she was talking about.

"I lost my parents when I was younger." Amp muttered sadly. "Both contracted a fatal disease and I was left without anyone to take me in."

"Amp I've told you before that wasn't true. You've always had me and my family to turn to no matter what."

"I'm sorry for your loss." Crona sighed sadly. "I know what it's like to lose family." Crona's voice began to crack and shook the painful memories from her head. She looked at Amp and Terra with a forced smile, her eyes glossy from holding back her tears. "You're really lucky to have each other as friends."

Terra blushed and Amp gave her a kiss on the cheek. "We're more than friends." He replied. "She's my fiancée."

Crona's eyes nearly popped out of her head and her jaw fell open. "What! You're... you're engaged? B-but, you're both younger than I am!"

Terra's cheeks flushed deeper and even Amp blushed as well. "Well," Amp continued. "It's an arranged marriage. We hatched in the same hatchery and we've been best friends ever since."

Crona was dumbstruck. All of this information was coming in so strong and fast she didn't notice herself toppling over until it was too late.

"Crona!" Terra cried when the white dragoness hit the ground. Crona groaned and blinked several times, staring out at the world around her. "Crona? Crona! Are you okay?" Terra and Amp leaned down close to her with looks of deep concern on their faces. Crona blinked and her senses started to come back to her. She sat up and held her head in her paw and waited for the swimming to stop. All around other dragons were gathering to see what the problem was. "Amp, can you do something?" Terra whispered urgently.

"It's alright everyone!" Amp announced turning to the onlookers. "She's alright. Just a little overheated."

As the guardian in-training continued to disperse the crowd Terra looked into Crona's eyes. Her pupils looked slightly dilated and her breathing seemed rather labored. "Come on Crona, let's get you out of here."

"Y-yeah. Sure." Crona nodded dumbly and rose to her feet.

The ice dragoness moved around her and did her best to support her as to make sure she didn't fall again. Much to her surprise, Crona spread her wings and took to the air. Terra followed before calling back over her shoulder, "Amp, let's go!"

"Coming!" He hollered back and flew after them. It didn't take long to catch up and by then the fresh air was clearing Crona's mind considerably. "Are you feeling any better?" He asked worriedly.

"I'm fine." Crona smiled and tried to cover up the nausea in her stomach. "Just got a little too overwhelmed."

"Well maybe getting away from the city will do you some good." Terra suggested. "It always does for us."

"That would be nice." Crona nodded taking in another deep breath. The ground flew by beneath them and soon they spotted the Silver River up ahead. The afternoon sun glistened off the water's surface almost blinding the dragons but made for a brilliant contrast against the dark green forest beyond it.

"Anyone up for a drink?" Amp asked before diving down.

"Amp, wait for us!" Terra called. The girls dove after him and skimmed along the water's surface upstream until they came to a large riverbed. The pebbles turned to sand at the water's edge and on the opposite side of the river rose a large cliff that stretched farther upstream and around a bend from which they could hear the mild roar of a waterfall.

Amp came to a bounding landing on the pebbles and Terra tackled him form behind, being careful not to hit his quills. The two lovers laughed as they rolled over one another, kicking up sand and rocks in a playful wrestling match. Crona smiled slightly but paid them little attention. She walked over to the riverbank and stared into the clear water that rushed past. The current was gentle here and the trickle of the water against the rocks was soothing to her.

Behind her, Amp and Terra got up laughing and came up to where Crona was standing. The white dragoness bent down and took in a big mouthful of water. The sudden taste of mercury overwhelmed Crona's taste buds and she cringed before spitting the water out in a spray of contempt.

"What was that all about?" Amp asked as Crona continued to cough and sputter.

"I'm not sure." Crona spat onto the sand and stuck her tongue out; a childish gesture on her part but she couldn't stand the horrid taste in her mouth. "The water tastes funny."

Terra looked at Amp before leaning down and taking a small sample in her mouth. Like Crona, she made a wretched face and discharged the water in a spray of ice. "Ugh! You're right!" She hissed. "Amp,"

"No way!" The lightning dragon shook his head. "I'm not drinking it." Terra rolled her eyes before looking back at Crona.

"I don't know what it is." She gave a repulsed growl and looked back at the water. "The water has never tasted like that before."

Crona nodded and narrowed her eyes at the water's surface. "If I didn't know any better, I'd say it tasted like blood."

Terra glanced at Amp with a troubled look. Crona looked around with a furrowed brow. She started to move upstream and Terra followed looking around nervously. Amp paused for a moment to make sure the girls were not watching him before taking a quick swig of the water. He curled his lip and was about to spit it out when Terra called his name.

"Amp hurry up!" The lightning dragon stopped in mid-spit and nearly choked. He ducked his head under his wing and spat on the ground next to him.

"Coming!" He called and hurried after them. Crona was walking in the shallows, the water lapping at her ankles. They rounded the bend in the river and Crona squinted ahead.

"What is that?" She pondered aloud, grabbing Amp and Terra's attention. The two of them glanced upriver; something was sticking up out of the water. As they drew closer, they began to recognize the main bulk of the object was a fallen tree trunk; and in between its mangled branches was a body. Terra gasped in horror.

"Is that... a dragon?" Amp squinted at the body tangled in the tree's branches. Crona glanced from the lightning dragon to the tree trunk again. Without warning she splashed out into deeper water and began paddling out to the tree trunk. "Wait up!" Amp hollered and dove in after her.

"I'll come too!" Terra called and was about to follow after them when Amp turned back to her.

"Terra, go back to the city and get the elders! Hurry!"

"Uh! R-right!" Terra paused for a second. She took a hesitant step backwards, before turning back to the shore and taking to the air, beating her wings as fast as she could.

Crona finished paddling out to the tree trunk and grabbed onto the trunk's slippery surface with her long talons. The black dragon's body hung limply on the branches that barely supported him. Crona and Amp could see the stream of blood that still flowed from his open wounds. Crona lifted the dragon's half-submerged head out of the water as Amp scrambled onto the log.

"Keep his head up." Crona ordered as he took hold of the dragon with his front paws.

"I got him." Amp grunted. The body felt extremely cold and flaccid in his grip. He smashed some of the branches that the black dragon was tangled on. Just then his grip on the log gave way and they plunged back into the water.

"Amp!" Crona cried looking around frantically for him. A second later the lightning dragon's head burst up from the water. "Amp are you alright?" Crona called.

"I'm fine!" He nodded and struggled to hoist the black dragon's head out of the water. "Let's just get back to shore!" He started kicking his legs hard and using his tail blade as a sideways paddle. It took a good five minutes to swim back to shallow waters. Amp was finally able to lift the larger black dragon onto his back, flattening his quills so as to refrain from pricking him too much. "Come on buddy, we're almost there." He groaned to himself.

The two dragons staggered onto the shore and collapsed on the sand, gasping for breath.

"Are you okay?" Crona asked as she looked over at Amp.

"Yeah," he panted. "Just a little winded."

Crona got to her feet while Amp took some time to catch his breath. The black dragon was unconscious, and barely breathing. As Crona looked him over she noticed the many deep wounds that marked his body. She leaned in to study them closer and her eyes narrowed. She couldn't quite place her talon on it but seeing these sort of injuries sparked a sense of familiarity. There were lacerations across the black dragon's body. The ones across his right eye, forehead chest and snout were particularly deep; almost to the bone.

The sudden realization hit Crona like a blow to the head and she let out an angry hiss.

"What is it?" Amp jerked lifting his head and looking around alertly.

"Apes." Crona growled looking at the surrounding forest for any signs of movement.

"What?" Amp raised a brow skeptically.

"Come, we have to get out of here!" Crona ordered. She looked across the river and up the cliff on the opposite side. The late afternoon sun shone through the trees but nothing moved amongst the underbrush.

"But I don't understand," Amp protested.

"I don't care!" Crona snapped instantly silencing the lightning dragon. "It's dangerous to stay here! So unless you want to hang around I suggest you get that thorny tail of yours in gear and move!"

Amp immediately did as he was told, almost frightened by the white dragoness's sudden change in temperament. With a heavy grunt he forced himself up off the sand and headed back towards the dragon city as fast as he could. Crona followed close behind making frequent glances over her shoulder and around the shadows that seemed to be growing darker by the second. Each time she looked behind them she half expected to see a swarm of the filthy barbarians burst out from hiding and chase them down.

After several minutes she paused. Amp sensed her stop and did so himself.

"Hey, what's the hold up? I thought you said we needed to get out of here!" He was already tired from carrying the limp dragon but adrenaline fueled him to push on.

Crona shook her head. "Something doesn't feel right about this." She muttered. After another moment's pause she turned back and hurried alongside Amp back towards the dragon city. Little did Crona know how right she would be.


	4. Chapter 4

Dark clouds covered the sky. A storm was coming but the water-heavy clouds refused to shower the dirty battle ground. It had been days since the apes had attached the dragon camp and no sign of them retaliating had been reported outside a couple reconnaissance skirmishes.

Crona walked around the piles of mangled twisted bodies in a blind daze. She had hardly recovered from her frightening ordeal a couple days before. Her body still ached from the overexertion of her tiny body; but she didn't care.

"Mother!" The little dragoness cried as the thunder rumbled in the distance. Several crows that had been feeding upon the bodies squawked and flew away in a flurry of black feathers. Crona screamed in surprise but didn't run. When the noise faded into the distance she peeked out from behind her wing; everything was clear. She continued looking about the battle ground, trying to hold her breath at the stench of the apes corpses piled high on top of one another. The smell of blood was almost overwhelming to the white dragoness. At last a breeze picked up and blew the smell away from Crona and she dared to take a breath.

She neared the edge of the field and froze. The apes no longer covered the ground here. Instead there were dozens upon dozens of dirt mounds scattered about, some with broken armor laying on top, other with flowers and some only a stick with markings scratched into the bark. Crona stared in wide-eyed dismay at the dragon burial ground before her. She had heard reports of how bad the attack had been when falling in and out of consciousness in her father's arms the last day and a half; but she had never imagined their casualties had been of this magnitude.

Crona took a trembling step forward and entered the burial grounds. All around she felt the chill of death brush against her soft, white scales and she curled her tail closer to her body and her wings to her sides. The sizes of the mounds differed from the size of the dragon who had been slain. In the middle, as was the dragon's formation, were buried what had once been the hatchlings that had been part of the families on military duty. Crona felt hot tears swell up in her eyes as she counted each little mound; twenty-nine of them. If she hadn't survived the encounter with the ape she would have made an even thirty.

"Arcadia," Crona choked as the tears began to flow. She bowed her head sadly and tried to keep the horrible vision of her best friend being torn apart before her very eyes out of her mind. Another rumble echoed in the distance. Crona turned her head to the sky and screamed at the top of her lungs. "Mother!" A flash of lightning and a loud crack was all that answered her.

At last the rain began to fall. It started as a trickle before quickly turning to a massive downpour. Crona just stood in the mud as the rain pelted her hide. She didn't want to get wet but she had lost all the will to move from her spot. She stared through the ground, lost in her own world of darkness, unsure of whether she should even bother living anymore. "It should have been me Arcadia." She wheezed. "You didn't deserve this." She let out another loud sob again. "No one did." She began crying uncontrollably, her tears mixing in with the raindrops. Her cries of sorrow were almost inaudible against the patter of water on dirt. Crona was so far gone in her thoughts that she did not hear her father's voice calling to her from across the field.

The rain stopped pelting her and Crona snapped out of her trance. SHe looked up to see her father standing over her, his wing providing a shield against the cold rain.

"Crona, I told you not to come out here." He scolded her paying mind to his tone. He knew that she probably would have anyways yet couldn't bring himself to be angry with her.

"Father," Crona sniffled and wiped the discharge from her nose. Her eyes drifted down to Kryos's other wing which was bandaged in a sling. From what she had heard it had been a crippling wound and he would never fly the same again. Seeing her own father standing tall and strong before her was too much for Crona to bear. She wailed again and buried her face in his leg and cried until her eyes burned. "Father!" She wept. "Why? Why did this have to happen?"

Kryos couldn't bring himself to answer. Deep inside he could feel what was left of his own heart break.

Terra and Amp sat in the main chamber of their home. The room had several large, elaborately decorated cushions for the dragons to lay on comfortably. Terra looked around the room at the banners that hung on the wall with etchings sewn into their fabric, telling the history of her family. These banners were said to be her family tree, according to her mother. Her eyes fell upon the newest of them, which was her banner. All it had was her date of hatching and; but unlike her ancestors, she had nothing else written after her hatch date. The ice dragoness sighed and curled around Amp for comfort. Anxiety had overwhelmed her completely and she needed to feel his warmth to help relief the stress.

Beside her, Amp lay asleep; exhausted from carrying the wounded black dragon all the way back to the city. He had not mentioned the sudden vicious outburst Crona had displayed to anyone even though Terra knew him well enough to tell when he was disturbed by something.

"I'll tell you later," he promised before collapsing onto the pillow cushion. "Right now I just need to rest.

Terra was puzzled by his sudden change of attitude but let it slide none the less. Deep down she had a feeling things were about to get very confusing and complicated.

"Is mom done yet?" Maya whined from across the room. Terra had been charged with watching her younger sister while Thundra went about tending to the black dragon's wounds.

"Maya just be patient." Terra muttered. "Mom is busy. This sort of thing takes time."

"But I want to see." Maya pleaded.

"Not now Maya." Terra hissed, narrowing her eyes at her sister. The little lightning dragoness stuck her tongue out at her big sister. Terra was about to get up and walk over to teach her a lesson but stopped when they heard their mother's footsteps.

Thundra breathed a sigh of relief as she entered the main chamber and sat down on her own personal pillow.

"Mommy!" Maya chirped and bounded over to her, nuzzling up against her mother's underbelly. Thundra only smiled and pat her daughter on the head with a large paw.

"So what's the word mom?" Terra asked, concern and worry very thick in her expression and voice. She stroked Amp's back, brushing his quills and jolting him awake so he could listen. The guardian in-training cracked one eye but didn't move.

Thundra bobbed her head slightly. "I've done what I can. Whether our new guest survives or not is up to him."

"I see." Terra nodded plainly and looked down the hall to the guest chamber which had been cleared out and was being used as a make-shift infirmary. The longer she stared at the drawn curtain the more frightened she became and she curled herself around Amp even tighter. Amp grunted as she scrunched herself against his wing and pulled it out to drape it over her. "Amp," Terra whispered in her mind. "I'm scared."

Nitrus led Crona through the city streets until they reached the dragon council's temple. Crona recognized the sophisticatedly decorated building from earlier that day. As Nitrus led her to the conference hall, she took in the sights of the stylish mosaics that took up every possible inch of each wall.

"We're here." Nitrus announced grabbing the white dragoness's attention. Crona almost snapped to attention having been surprised out of her hypnotic trance. Nitrus pressed a heavy paw against the great metal doors and pushed. With a loud, echoing creak they opened revealing a dimly lit room with candles. All around the room were brightly colored pedestals. Each had a cushion of a similar or matching color and on each sat a dragon.

Crona looked around at the six dragons that sat patiently eyeing her. The older dragons each had a perplexed look on their face as they took in the sight of Crona's snow-white skin. Each of the council members seemed to represent a particular element, based on what Crona could see of their features and the designs carved into their pedestals. A pale brown and green dragoness with red and gold horns sat on a pedestal with white and grey tiles. An ice dragon only a few years older than herself lay on a large cushion above a dark blue pedestal with mosaic waves embedded into it's design made of abalone shells. A green earth dragoness sat tall and proud beside the other pale-colored dragoness. On top of the fire pedestal sat a heavily horned male dragon. What caught Crona's attention though was the coloration of his skin; rather than being the normal fiery pigments she had grown to know so well he exhibited the color of blue flames spreading across his body. The pale blue pedestal with white gems embedded in it Crona deducted as belonging to Nitrus. And lastly Crona's eyes came to rest upon a pedestal made entirely of quartz crystal. Sitting on it was a dragon, pure white like Crona but upon further examination, she noticed that he lacked wings and horns of any type. He stared back at her; eyes as white as the rest of his body with no pupils to see. Crona found herself being slightly overwhelmed by a sense of familiarity the more they stared at one another.

The coughing of the blue dragon on the pedestal of fire brought everyone to attention.

"Nitrus, what have you to report?" The elder asked. He was clearly a few generations older than Nitrus and his voice commanded respect; something Crona had never really liked about other dragons though the elders back home had always made it a priority for the younger dragons.

Nitrus sighed, "Unsure at this point." The ice guardian did his best to keep his voice lowered. Noise carried very easily inside the conference hall. Thundra took the dragon in question back to our home pavilion along with Amp and my daughter." Terra had come to the council chambers in a desperate flurry, and had been rather insistent on her father stop what he was doing to come provide assistance. Nitrus had followed her back the way she had come and found Crona pushing Amp along vigorously all the while searching the forest for signs of danger. The ice guardian could still remember the look fierce look in Crona's eyes as she went on about saying there was danger lurking about. She had even been so bold as to insist on speaking to the other guardians.

"And..." The pale dragoness asked keenly.

Nitrus sighed again. "It's as my daughter described. It's a black dragon." A soft gasp emanated from the mouths of the council members. Crona noticed the uneasy stares they gave each other but couldn't understand why. Where black dragons something of a problem here?

"So who would this young dragoness be." The pale dragoness asked acting as if she had just noticed Crona for the first time.

"This is Crona." Nitrus stepped aside so the council could get a better look at her in the candlelight. Crona took a few confident steps forward. She had been before dragon councils before, only this time there were more members present.

"Hello," Crona bowed her head out of respect to the elders, doing her best to mind her manners.

"My, what a charming young dragoness." The earth dragoness smiled.

"Welcome Crona." The elder blue dragon bobbed his head. "We were told of your arrival several days ago but that you were not yet well enough to meet face to face." The dragon rose to his feet and gestured around the room to his compatriots. "Allow me to introduce my fellow council members." The young blue dragon was the first to rise. He wore a golden breast plate and a golden armored gauntlet on each front forelimb. Three golden rings wrapped around the last digit of his dark violet wings. He smiled at Crona with pale blue eyes, showing the scar over his right eye. "This young dragon is Cryus. He is training to become the next guardian of ice one day though he hold the title of water apprentice for the time being." Cryus sat down and the earth dragoness stood up. "This is Tectonica, guardian of earth." The dragoness sat down and the pale dragoness rose afterwards. Upon further inspection, Crona noticed the translucence of her wing membranes and how her tail split in two. "This is Master Kia, our aerial instructor at the dragon academy." Kia bowed politely and took her seat again. "Our guardian of lightning I'm sure you have met already, Ampus. He is still in training so he does not always join us in our meetings for discussing matters of our beloved city. And I am Volcanus, guardian of fire and headmaster of the dragon academy." Volcanus turned to the young white dragon sitting upon the quartz pedestal. "And this here is our young oracle, Sin." The elder continued and the white, wingless dragon continued to stare silently at Crona making her feel rather uncomfortable.

"It's a pleasure to meet you all." Crona almost muttered forcing herself to look away from Sin.

"Crona here claims to know what may have caused the black dragon to show up when he did." Nitrus spoke up bringing the formalities to a sudden halt.

"Oh? And what might that be?" Tectonica asked peering down at the dragoness. She noticed the designs on Crona's breast plate and ring on her left horn but ignored them.

"It was apes." Crona said calmly, trying to keep her hatred for the filthy creatures from showing.

"Apes?" Volcanus raised a brow.

"Yes." Crona nodded with great certainty. "The wounds that were inflicted upon that black dragon were caused by weapons made by the apes."

"How can you tell?" Cryus asked taking slightly more interest in the white dragoness. He crossed his paws and leaned towards her almost as if trying to listen to a whisper.

"The deep lacerations across the dragon's body couldn't have been done by claws." Crona went on to explain. "Granted that there were some claw marks but the more serious wounds were caused by hand-made weapons. I've seen these types of wounds before and I'm positive that's where they came from." The white dragoness's eyes narrowed. "And I'd almost be willing to bet the apes may be planning for an attack soon."

"That sounds rather valid except for one point." Volcanus said. Something in his voice seemed to set Crona's temper off; it was almost like he doubted her words. Her muscles tensed and she looked back up at him with tightly pursed lips. "We have been at peace with the apes for hundreds of generations. Records do indicate some tensions in early years when our kinds were first establishing their territories but as long as we do not trespass on their lands, there are no conflicts. We have never heard of any ape activities, much less hostile ones, since before my time." The other council members nodded in agreement.

"How can you say that!" Crona demanded, her voice echoing savagely throughout the chamber. "I saw those wounds! I know exactly what caused them! Why don't you believe me!" She stood before the dragon council shaking furiously with rage. Her onyx talons digging into the marble floor and her teeth ground together aggressively.

The council remained silent as they watched her. Crona leered at the circle of eyes that were fixed on her. "Have you forgotten that we were at war with them fore the past century almost?"

The council all looked at each other. Master Kia was the first to speak. "Young one, we have never heard of such an event happening in all of dragon history." She was trying to use a calm, soothing voice to settle Crona down but it only worked in infuriating the white dragoness even more.

Crona's eyes widened and her lip curled into a feral hiss. "What?"

"Like Guardian Volcanus said before." Tectonica pointed out. "There may have been some tensions and minor disputes between us dragons and the apes but that was a very long time ago. Since then we came up with a compromise and we've had no conflicts ever since. We felt it best to relinquish some of our territories so that the apes would have a chance to flourish and thrive as we dragons have."

"It's the dragon way." Kia nodded in agreement.

Crona couldn't believe what she was hearing. She also couldn't understand why and her head was starting to throb from taking in so much information at once. The white dragoness sighed and lowered her eyes to the marble floor and studied the claw marks she had made. She remembered the horrible battle when she was younger. The dying cries of her mother trying to protect her. The screams of her best friend being torn to pieces by the very creatures these dragons were claiming to be at peace with.

"I've survived and experienced the horrors and atrocities of that war. I lost my mother and my best friend because of those damned filthy, barbaric creatures." She looked up to the elder dragons with tears glossing over her sky-blue eyes. "And you won't even acknowledge their deaths because you don't believe there was ever a war!"

The council members recoiled at the violent outburst. No one had ever spoken to them in such a way or even dared to.

Once again Kia was the first to speak. "We feel for your loss little one. But..." She glanced at her peers then back to Crona. "We feel you must be mistaken. There has never been such a great conflict as you have described.

Crona curled her lips revealing her sharp, white teeth. The ground started to shake and the blue mist began to grow stronger within the room. The magical energy was beginning to manifest before the council's very eyes. The dragons all looked around at one another in uncertainty. Off to the side Sin wore the same expressionless look on his face.

"Crona!" Nitrus barked bringing the dragoness back from her rage. Crona blinked and the blue mist disappeared. She realized what she was doing and hung her head in shame for acting so childish. She looked up at the council members with tears trickling down her cheeks. She crinkled her snout and glared at them before looking at the floor in disgust.

"You're all fools." She she muttered, not caring if they heard her or not. She turned and walked past Nitrus and headed outside.

The council all watched her go and made sure she was out of earshot in hopes of preventing another tense conflict with her.

The young one seems rather troubled Nitrus " Volcanus sighed. "I don't want to cast judgements or jump to any conclusions, but you may want to keep a close eye on your family to see that no harm comes to them or her for that matter."

"I will." Nitrus bobbed his head with a worried determination in his eyes. He bowed before turning to follow after Crona. When he was gone, Sin raised a paw and the doors closed with a loud clang.

For a long moment no one spoke. The tension was thick in the air, each dragon carefully contemplating what to say.

"So what course of action do we take now?" Cryus asked. "Do we take her word for it or pass these accusations off as nothing?"

"I understand your thinking young Cryus." Volcanus sighed. "Though I don't think we should do anything as of yet. We have yet to see any hostile activity from the apes much less anyone for that matter. This may all be part of..."

"It's not." Sin interrupted the guardian. Volcanus was about to speak a protest but the oracle's white eyes seemed to almost glow, telling him to not push the subject any more.

"What worries me," Kia spoke up. "Is that she speaks as though she truly has experienced what she claims."

"Agreed," Volcanus and Tectonica nodded together. Each of the dragons felt a knot tighten in their stomachs and they glanced at Sin who only shook his head ending their discussion. Deep down, Volcanus prayed that the upcoming events would not turn out as predicted.


	5. Chapter 5

Crona and Nitrus walked back in silence. Neither really knew what to say to the other. Crona had nearly embarrassed herself in front of his colleagues and made a city-wide incident by using magic in front of them. Nitrus, on the other hand, felt like he couldn't ignore what the dragoness had said in their conference chamber. The certainty in her voice had sent his mind into a nervous frenzy and it had taken all his control in order to keep from making his own outburst. As they continued to walk, he looked down at her. Crona felt his eyes on her but refused to say anything. The ice guardian could tell that she knew something but in his mind he felt it would be rude to ask her, especially after such an incident.

"Crona," Nitrus broke the tense silence trying to sound as gentle as possible. "Are you alright?"

Crona continued to stare straight ahead, resisting the urge to snort in spite of him. "I'll be fine," she muttered. She sighed and shook her head to herself. It really wasn't Nitrus' fault. He hadn't said anything to her personally, but part of Crona felt like he had not done anything to help her.

Nitrus' shoulders slumped slightly. He wanted to help her as he would his own daughters but part of him refrained from getting too involved.

The two dragons finally came to Nitrus' home and entered to find the family lying about the main chamber. Thundra sat on her cushion with little Maya curled up between her front legs, sleeping peacefully.

"Hi, Dad." Terra smiled, lifting her head as they entered the front door. She had been curled around Amp, who was fast asleep beside her. "How was the meeting?" Nitrus could only watch as Crona walked across the main chamber towards Terra's room.

"Please excuse me," Crona murmured before walking up the steps and disappearing from their view.

"Everything alright honey?" Thundra asked with a confused look.

"Y-yeah," Nitrus replied, snapping out of a light trance. "Just a bit fatigued." He looked down at his mate as she got up to nuzzle her snout under his chin. Thundra wrapped her wings around his muscular shoulders and licked his cheek. "How's the black dragon doing?" Nitrus' expression grew stern as he looked back at the guest room.

Thundra paused and looked back at the curtain covering the doorway. "Well, he's stable. He has a lot of wounds that are infected but my medicines will remedy that." She looked back at Nitrus with a worried look. "But some of his more severe wounds are extremely deep. They're like no other wounds I've ever seen before."

"Like they were caused by something else?" Nitrus raised a brow skeptically.

"Yes, exactly." Thundra nodded. Then she narrowed her eyes at her mate. "How did you know?" Nitrus shook his head and Thundra stroked his cheek, comfortingly understanding what was going through his head.

Off to the side, Terra watched her parents in nervous anticipation. She leaned down beside Amp and kissed his cheek. The lightning dragon twitched slightly but didn't wake. Terra smiled at his cuteness and breathed a cloud of ice onto his neck. Amp's eyes snapped open and he jolted upright with a startled yelp, clawing at the ice on his neck.

Terra giggled and rose up off the cushion and walked past him, dragging her tail along his hide. Amp shuddered and grinned excitedly and followed after Terra. The ice dragoness led him back to her room and paused outside her curtain. She stopped and locked her eyes with his. Amp cocked his head sideways as he tried to read her expression. Terra jerked her head towards her room and shook her head slightly. Amp blinked once then realized what she was asking.

Terra and Amp ducked under the curtain and walked towards Crona, who was out on the balcony. By now the sun had disappeared over the horizon and the lanterns inside the dragon pavilions were all that lit up the night beneath the stars. The white dragoness stared out at the city before her, lost in her thoughts and feelings. Seeing her like this hurt Terra and she tried to come up with something to say other than asking if she was okay.

"Crona, are you alright?" She asked and squeaked when she realized what she said.

"Huh?" Crona turned and looked at them as if she hadn't noticed them before. "Oh, sorry. I... just... I just wanted some time to think to myself."

"That's alright, I understand." Terra nodded, placing a comforting paw on Crona's back. "But if you need anything at all, just ask me or Amp. We'll be happy to help you. Right?" She glanced at her future life mate over her shoulder.

"Uh! Right!" Amp nodded quickly, still waking up from his nap.

"Thank you, Terra. And you too, Amp." Crona forced a smile to try and convince them that she was fine. "I appreciate the offer more than you know." Terra only smiled and turned back to Amp and motioned for him to follow her. The two of them found Nitrus and Thundra in the guest room looking down at the unconscious black dragon.

"So what did the council say?" Amp asked with a serious tone in his voice. Nitrus turned, surprised to hear from the young trainee.

"It doesn't matter." Nitrus sighed, looking down at the black dragon with a dark expression on his face.

Amp stepped in front of him, demanding his attention. "If I'm going to be a guardian some day, I need to be informed when something is going on, Nitrus. I can't protect others without having as much information as possible."

Nitrus stared down at him and thought for a long moment.

"Dad!" Terra spoke sternly, finally getting him to speak.

"The council is disturbed," Nitrus replied. "They believe that Crona may be deeply troubled or have been traumatized by something in her past and that she may need some help."

"What?" Terra gasped; shocked that she had heard such a thing from her own father.

"But what could have happened to make them think such a thing?" Thundra asked, almost insulted that the council would say such a thing about Crona.

"Look, maybe we should all just get some sleep and we can talk about this in the morning." Nitrus shook his head and breathed a light cloud of frost.

Terra and Amp exchanged disappointed looks. Both dragons hated being left out of anything involving their family. Never the less they turned and walked back to Terra's room. Much to their surprise, Crona was already fast asleep on the balcony. As Terra settled down on their pillow, Amp grabbed an extra blanket and draped it over Crona's back. The white dragoness twitched in her slumber and curled into a tighter coil.

"Arcadia," She whimpered in her sleep, a few tears escaping from her eyelids and running down her snout.

Amp twisted his mouth in sympathy for the dragoness before turning back to his bed.

"Is she okay?" Terra asked looking up at him with sleepy eyes.

"I think we all just need to rest," Amp replied and kissed her forehead. "I'm sure we'll figure this all out once we're refreshed."

"Alright Ampy," Terra smiled and kissed his snout. "I trust you." The two lovers curled close to one another and before long were fast asleep.

Back in the guest room Nitrus continued to stare down at the black dragon. Thundra had ducked out of the room for a few minutes but returned shortly after.

"I just finished putting Maya to bed," she announced softly. "And Terra is with Amp and Crona in her room." Nitrus didn't reply. Thundra sighed and walked up beside her mate and brushed his side with her shoulders. "I know what you're thinking." She started. "And I'm worried too. But let's not dwell on anything until it happens. Promise?"

Nitrus was surprised by his mate's request, but looking into her eyes he couldn't help but give in to her spell. "I promise." He nodded.

Crona lay on the sand for several hours. The white dragoness had been unconscious when her body had washed up on the beach but the sudden overwhelming feeling of nausea brought her back.

Crona opened her eyes and immediately hurled the contents of her stomach out onto the beach; most of it being salt water. The dragoness curled into a ball, trying to get the pain in her stomach to subside as she gasped for air. Her body was physically drained from lack of food but her mind was wide awake now and concentrating on just breathing.

As Crona lay gasping for air she let her eyes scan the area around her. She had washed up on a tiny beach on the edge of a cove. The waves gently lapped at her hind quarters, cooling her off after a harsh wake up. It took the white dragoness a good hour to get the mental strength to order her body onto its feet. Her first two attempts met in failure as the wet sand slid out from under her paws. After getting up for the third time, keeping her body low to the ground and spreading her weight out, Crona was finally able to get a good look at her surroundings. The cove was at the base of some rocky cliffs; a small narrow passageway being the only way down or up from the shoreline.

The white dragoness took an experimental step forward. When she didn't topple over she took another, and then another. Each time she shifted her weight as she moved she inspected her body to make sure no serious injuries had occurred while she was unconscious. Step by step she made her way towards the crevice in the rocks. When she got to the small opening she noticed that there were stairs leading up the cliff-side. Feeling more comfortable walking, she ascended the stairwell. The higher she climbed the more her legs began to tire. Crona paused to test her wings out; they were uncomfortably sore. With a loud sigh she continued climbing; not being able to fly was extremely unpleasant when she was used to doing so.

The passageway was long and narrow. Crona scraped herself several times on the walls but paid little mind to it. She was merely content with getting away from this place. Up ahead she could see a light drawing closer and closer. As she emerged from the crevice in the rocks, her eyes grew wide and her jaw fell open. Before her was a sight that defied all the rules of physics and magic she had ever studied. Masses of rock floated in the stale air like they had been stopped by time in mid-fall. This bizarre place seemed as if it had been untouched by the passage of time itself. Yet, in the back of her mind, Crona felt the nagging sensation of familiarity.

"This place feels like a dreamscape," She said to herself as she continued along the path, staring at the floating rocks the whole time. As she walked on, she came to a large temple that had been carved into the very mountain itself. The design seemed highly dignified, yet among the surrounding rock it seemed rather plain as if humbling itself to the rest of the world. There were no doors and Crona's curiosity was too great to resist entering.

Inside, the temple was honeycombed with long hallways; the designs that were carved into the walls resembling the ones on the exterior. For a long time the only sounds were Crona's breathing and the clicking of her onyx talons on the stone floor. The atmosphere of the temple gave off an eerie feeling and a sense of fear began to linger in her mind. The dragon statues that stood at the end of each corridor seemed like they could come to life at any moment to drive her from this strange place.

She had not realized that she had been wandering around aimlessly for a couple hours when she came to an unexplored hallway. The white dragoness spotted a faint light at the end which opened into an enormous chamber. In the middle of the room was towering hourglass that was emanating the light which she had seen from down the hall. But the hourglass was not what got Crona's attention. She craned her neck back to see rows upon rows of book shelves stacked towards the ceiling, which seemed to fade into darkness beyond the light of the hourglass. Crona could immediately see that these were not just any ordinary books; they had names and places inscribed into their elaborately designed covers. This was a collection of history; dragon history.

Crona gasped in awe, her wide blue eyes taking in the scene for everything it was.

"Wow..."

Crona snapped awake and her head shot up. "That's it!" She exclaimed, suddenly getting an idea in her mind. She jumped to her feet, her wings tossing the blanket Amp had draped over her off. Crona looked back inside to see Amp and Terra sound asleep, curled around each other in a loving embrace with their tails intertwined. The white dragoness crept up to Amp and gave him a slight nudge with her snout.

"Amp? Hey, wake up," She whispered but the lightning dragon didn't budge. Crona tried again to rouse him from his slumber but Amp seemed almost determined to stay where he was. Crona paused and sat on her haunches to think for a moment as she stared down at him. Another idea popped into her head and she grinned almost evilly. She reached out with a paw and grabbed a hold of Amp's sensitive quills and gave them a light squeeze. The lightning dragon jerked away and Crona clapped a paw over his mouth to silence his startled yelp. "Shh..." Crona hissed, releasing him.

Amp groaned and lifted his head to look at the white dragoness sleepily. "Crona? W-what are you doing?" He looked past her and outside the room. It was still dark out with the very beginnings of light coming up over the horizon.

"I need your help with something Amp. Does your city have a library or something where they keep records of our history?"

"Y-yeah." Amp yawned and sat up to rub the sleep from his eyes. "It's in the upper levels of the city towards the main temple. Why do you ask?"

"I need you to take me there. There's something very important I have to find."

"What? Right now?" Amp almost whimpered. He wasn't a stranger to getting up early for training but going to the library was the last thing he wanted to be rising before the crack of dawn for.

"Yes, right now," Crona hissed again, more urgently this time. Amp sighed and his shoulders slumped. Crona realized what she was asking and looked him in the eye. "Please Amp. It's really important to me that I find what I'm looking for. You don't even have to stay. If you just lead me to it I'd be more than grateful."

Amp was silent for a moment before sighing again. "Alright. If it means that much to you then I guess I'll do it just this once."

"Thank you." Crona smiled, her excitement returning to her hushed voice.

Amp leaned back down and nuzzled Terra until she cracked one eye open. "I'll be back soon. I promise." He kissed her on the cheek before getting to his feet.

"Amp? Wh-where are you going? It's so early," Terra mumbled, lifting her head and squinting at him with sleepy eyes.

"I'm taking Crona to the library real quick. I'll be back as soon as we're done there."

"Ok," Terra glanced at Crona before giving Amp a quick peck on his lips. "Be careful Ampy." She lay back down and Amp covered her with their blanket again before turning to Crona.

"Alright let's go," he nodded, stretching his wings and popping his joints.

Crona moved to the side and let him take the lead. The two dragons soared almost silently over the still sleeping city. It took about ten minutes of flying before Amp glided down to a large pavilion shaped like a Greek coliseum but with a domed roof over it. Crona admired the decorations in the torchlight as Amp led her inside. There were only a couple other dragons inside; elders who nodded politely to the young ones as they passed by.

"Here we are," Amp announced, trying to keep his voice from echoing in the great hall. He stopped and turned to the white dragoness who stared up at the stained glass dome with wide eyes. The majesty of this library was almost overwhelming to her. Everywhere she looked she could see stacks, rows and piles of books waiting for her to explore their contents. Crona didn't realize it but she was grinning from ear to ear for the first time in a long time.

"Crona?" Amp grabbed her attention and snapped her out of her transfixed state.

"Huh?" Crona turned and blinked several times. She had almost forgotten that he had been there. "Sorry, did you say something?"

Amp only stifled a yawn to not appear to be rude. "I was just saying that this is the place." He gave one last look around before turning to the front entrance again. "Well, if there's anything else you need. Let me know." He yawned and started to walk away.

Crona was silent for a second as she looked around. There were so many shelves of books she didn't know where to start. Quickly she turned back to Amp.

"Actually, there is something you can do for me."

Amp froze in mid-step. Slowly he turned back to face the white dragoness who had a serious look on her face with a subtle hint of a grin.

The lightning dragon swallowed hard. "Uh oh."


	6. Chapter 6

The early morning sun shone through the window of the dragon pavilion and struck Nitrus in the eyes. The ice guardian cringed in his sleep and turned away. Thundra, who was lying beside him, giggled and shuddered from his steady breathing on the back of her neck. She sidled up beside him more and he draped his wing over her before kissing the back of her neck. Thundra laughed again, louder this time. Nitrus smiled to himself, his eyes still closed, and kissed her again. Thundra giggled childishly and squirmed under his loving embrace.

"Nitrus, stop." She blushed and turned to look at him as he opened his sleepy eyes. "The children might hear us."

"Oh come now." Nitrus wore a youthful grin on his face. "We aren't doing anything bad in front of them."

Thundra tilted her head to the side and gave him a skeptical stare. "Well we know Amp and Terra are about that age but we don't want Maya getting any ideas from us or them."

Nitrus rolled his eyes. "Very well. We'll wait for a special time when they're all out at their academy lessons." His grin returned and he nuzzled her cheek playfully. "And then you're all mine, my sweet dragoness." Thundra laughed out loud and took a few playful steps away from his tickling kisses.

"Come on my guardian. We've work to do first." She gazed at him lovingly as she headed for the doorway. "You rouse the children from their sleep and I'll check up on our new guest." As she disappeared behind the curtain and into the hallway Nitrus's smile faded. He had forgotten about the black dragon until now. He gave a muffled growl as he got to his feet and stretched himself to his full length. After his joints popped he rolled his muscular shoulders before walking down the hall to Maya's chamber. The little dragoness was already up and exploring about her room.

"Morning, Daddy!" She chirped and bounded over to hug his massive leg.

"Good morning, my little Maya." Nitrus smiled warmly at her. "Are you all set for academy lessons today?"

"Yeah!" Maya nodded excitedly. She reared up on her hind legs and flapped her wings rapidly. "We're starting flying exercises today!"

Nitrus's smile spread. She had always been as energetic as Amp and she progressed so quickly through her studies that he often wondered if she could possibly become a guardian one day. "I'm glad to see you're excited about your lessons." Nitrus nuzzled her and Maya licked his snout affectionately. "Let's go get your sister and Amp up and then we'll go." The two walked down to Terra's room. Maya barged in under the curtain and jumped on her big sister, forcing her awake. Terra snarled at her little sister and threw her off. Maya adroitly landed on her feet and stuck her tongue out.

"Maya, you brat! Knock it off! You know I hate it when you do that."

"Terra, stop scolding your sister," Nitrus ordered and turned his eyes on Maya. "And Maya, you know better." Maya only shrank back slightly but kept a faint hint of a smirk on her face. Terra noticed and glared at her; her sister always seemed to think that she could get away with anything because she was the baby of the family.

Nitrus looked around the room to see his daughter the only occupant. "Where is Ampus? And Crona for that matter?"

"Huh? Oh, Amp just took her to the library." Terra yawned, sitting up on her haunches. "She woke up really early this morning and wanted to know where the library was for some reason."

"That's odd." Nitrus twisted his snout slightly as he puzzled over his eldest daughter's story. "Did she give any reason?"

Terra shook her head. "I don't think so. I wasn't really awake to hear them discuss anything further."

"I see." Nitrus stood still, thinking for a moment, while Terra stretched in a cat-like fashion, flexing her wings, tail and legs; she was just as elegant and graceful as her mother. "Well, we should get going. You two have academy lessons to get to."

"What about Amp?" Terra asked as she followed her father outside.

"We'll pick him up on the way to the academy," Nitrus replied. "And then we'll see what Crona is up to."

"Here you go," Amp wheezed as he dragged another large book out to the cushion Crona was sitting on. The white dragoness was resting on a bright red pillow with several stacks of history books around her making a sort of wall around her. "That's all the books from the historical archives." Amp was exhausted from running back and forth, carrying the large books from off the high shelves and lugging back the ones Crona had practically blazed through already.

"Thank you, Amp," Crona muttered without even looking up at him, her eyes and thoughts delving deeper into her reading. Amp paused to watch her for a moment as she quickly read through each page before flipping to the next.

"Are you really reading all that?" He asked. Crona nodded silently. Amp took the cue and sat down on a pale yellow cushion beside her and closed his eyes. It was already light outside now and he had been awake for at least three hours. The rest of the city would be waking up soon and then his academy lessons would begin. The young dragon's thoughts made him realize how tired he was and he drifted off into sleep.

Crona gave him a quick glance before delving back into the surrounding books. She raised a paw; certain Amp wasn't looking anymore, and summoned three more books over to her. Her eyes paced along the pages as she read through the manuscripts. So far all she was reading came across as useless information. Normally she would have loved reading about dragon history but the memory of her meeting with the dragon council tormented her mind relentlessly.

"Damn it," She cursed under her breath, making sure not to make too much noise to rouse attention. "There has to be something about the war with the apes around here somewhere." She looked at the stacks of books and scrolls Amp had brought her and looked over the railing from the third floor she was on. There were very few other dragons about, most of them keeping to themselves as they organized the archives and scribbled down new texts onto fresh scrolls. Off in the corner Crona spotted an old dragon dipping a large peacock feather into a well of ink. The white dragoness got up and walked down the stairs and timidly made her way over to the stranger.

"Excuse me," She spoke in a gentle tone so as to not surprise the elder. The pale green dragon looked up and looked down at young dragoness. "I was hoping you could help me with something."

"Certainly." The elder nodded, resting his feather in the ink well. "What may I assist you with?"

"I was curious about a couple things." Crona sat down in front of him in a proper posture as she had been taught in school. "My first question, has there ever been any sort of war before? What I mean is has there been any great conflict between the dragons and," She paused a second to find the proper words. The last thing she wanted to do was start up another incident like in the council chamber. "Any other creatures of our world, say for example, the apes."

The elder looked at Crona curiously. "There has never been such a thing before."

"That's what I thought you would say." Crona nodded and rubbed her chin trying to appear like she was taking his answer graciously. "My other question is what year is this?"

"It is the sixth year after the year of the dragon. Only four more until the next dragon year rolls about."

"The sixth after the year of the dragon," Crona murmured to herself. She remembered that year very specifically in her mind. There had been rumors that a legendary dragon would be born that year to bring an end to the war with the apes and the armies of the Dark Master. But this elder dragon, like the others, had no recollection of any war of any sort. Crona fixed him with her bright blue eyes as she thought of another question. "How long has dragon kind been around? Have we achieved anything of extreme importance?"

The elder looked like he had been slapped in the face. "Goodness, child, do they not teach you anything in the academy any more?"

Crona narrowed her eyes at him. "I don't attend this particular academy. But if you wouldn't mind answering, it would greatly assist my research."

"Oh I see. You're a transfer student." The elder nodded, seeming to understand the dragoness. "Well, dragon kind has been around for many millennia. At least as far as records go, dragons have flourished the past five millennia."

Crona narrowed her eyes again. "The dragon city of Warfang?"

"Ah, a wonderful place!" The elder sighed as if remembering a fond memory.

"Yeah, I know." Crona nodded, recalling the beauty of the city. "I don't suppose there's a dragon calendar around by any chance is there?"

"Certainly, my dear." The old dragon got up and led Crona towards the center of the main chamber. In the middle of the open floor was a single white spot of light. Crona looked up to see the top of the dome was a single pane of glass letting the light shine into the chamber. "Let us see." The elder brought Crona's attention back to him. He took a moment to eye the sundial in the center of the spot of light before moving. The elder looked down at the ground and started pacing in a circle making random swishes of his claws along the floor. "Here," he announced pointing a claw at the floor.

Crona walked over and stared at the floor. Under the old dragon's claw was a roman numeral etched into the floor and painted in yellow clay. Crona could see more etchings of the same yellow claw moving around the room in a circle. Inside that circle was another smaller one with indigo etchings and inside that was another with red clay. As the white dragoness studied the layout of the markings and the various circles around the chamber, she realized that this was the calendar she was looking at. She gasped in surprise and froze.

"Is everything alright?" The old dragon asked, seeing her reaction.

"Y-yes. I'm fine," She stammered. "Thank you for your help. I'm sorry to bother you."

"Think nothing of it my dear." The old dragon bowed graciously. "I hope you find what you are looking for."

Crona waited until he was gone before turning back to the calendar. The ring surrounding the sundial had four divisions on it indicating the seasons of the year. The sundial shadow was in the third section of the ring, indicating the fall season was well under way. Crona followed the line of the shadow to the next ring which broke the four previous sections into four sections, each with a roman digit over it. The next ring was broken into even more sections with more digits labeling the days.

"At least I know what day it is." Crona grumbled to herself. "But where's the," Her voice trailed off as she came to the final rings surrounding the day ring. The following ring was the century; the one after that was the millennium followed by the generation then finally the exact year. Crona looked closer and her jaw dropped. "No way." She gasped. "This can't be right." She walked back to the sundial and placed a paw inside the shadow. She concentrated on her only active power at her disposal. The flow of time grew stronger inside her and a moment later a spark of light appeared at the tip of her middle talon. Crona watched as the tiny orb of light moved across the calendar on a deliberate path. At the edge of the final ring the orb stopped. The dragoness walked along the path the orb had taken, looking at each section it had passed through. Once she stood over the orb she frowned.

The light now rested over a single digit on a year that was not marked by any clay. Crona looked back at the marked years then back to the orb. "That's my year." She whispered to herself. She looked back again and her heart sank. "That's... It's a thousand year difference." She looked over the sections, and ran the numbers through her head several times before collapsing on her hind legs in defeat. "How can this be possible?" She shook her head. "These dragons have no idea about the war because it hasn't even started yet." Her thoughts drifted back to her lessons about the war with her instructors as a young dragon. She had never been told how the war had started; only that the apes had attacked out of nowhere with no provocation what so ever on the dragons behalf. "Mother." Crona suddenly started crying, her tears streaming down her snout and plopping onto the floor. "Father, what do I do?" The library seemed suddenly silent to her as she stifled her weeping.

"Crona?" Nitrus's voice echoed gently through the halls as he tried to keep his voice low. The white dragoness quickly wiped her eyes and looked down at the spot on the calendar she was on. Nitrus entered the chamber to see her standing still and walked over to her. "Crona, are you alright?"

"I'm fine," Crona replied, turning her attention towards the guardian. "I was just looking at the calendar."

"Oh?" Nitrus raised a brow. "Were you looking for anything in particular?"

Crona shrugged. "It's nothing big, but I did find what I was looking for."

"That's good to hear. Are you feeling well today?"

Crona sighed and forced herself to stand tall with a half smile. "I'm peachy." Nitrus looked at her, unsure if she was being serious or sarcastic. Crona noticed his expression and looked down at her paws and shifted her talons, attempting to look nervous in front of him. "Um, I wanted to apologize for my outburst yesterday. I didn't mean to show any disrespect towards your fellow guardians. I... I've been under a lot of stress lately and I've been more lost than you could possibly imagine."

Nitrus was surprised by her sudden apology but smiled warmly none the less. "Well I do appreciate your kind words Crona. If you need anything, anything at all, I would like you to ask one of us. Whether it's someone to talk to or a shoulder to lean on, my family and I are here for you."

Crona cracked a slight smile but her heart was still feeling extremely heavy inside her chest. "Thank you." She bowed slightly. "I will be sure to keep that in mind."

Nitrus gave her a fatherly hug, a gesture Crona did not expect but was too distraught to reject it; she was never very open to such displays of affection from strangers. "Come on, let's go get Amp. Terra said he was with you."

"Oh right." Crona cringed as she remembered making the young in-training guardian run about getting scrolls and books for her. The two walked up to the next level of the library and found Terra and Maya standing beside Amp. Terra was nudging him awake but the lightning dragon only groaned as he tried to fall back asleep.

"Come on Ampy, we've got academy lessons soon."

"But I don't want to," Amp mumbled groggily. "Can't I have a day off for once?"

"A guardian never has a day off," Nitrus replied as he and Crona walked over to them. Terra looked up at the white dragoness who mouthed a silent apology. Terra only shook her head with a smile assuring Crona she was not upset in any way. Amp's eyes snapped open when he heard Nitrus's voice and he sprang to his feet.

"Y-yes sir!" He nearly choked trying to swallow and talk at the same time. Nitrus gave him a pat on the shoulder.

"You'll make a fine guardian one day Ampus. But for now you need to stay focused on your studies so you may become such a dragon."

"I will." Amp nodded sounding more determined now that his mentor was here.

"You young ones get to class." Nitrus thrust his horns over his shoulder towards the library entrance. "I'll see you three after your lessons."

"You're not going to walk us?" Maya whimpered, hurt that she wouldn't be escorted by her father.

"I'm going to help Crona clean up around here." Nitrus looked at the stacks of books and scrolls that remained unread by the white dragoness. "Now run along or you'll be late." He gave Maya a loving lick on the cheek before nudging her along behind Amp and Terra. Maya licked his snout back and hurried after her sister. When they were gone Nitrus turned to Crona. "Shall we clean up a bit here or would you like to stay a little bit longer?"

"I'd like to stay a little longer," Crona replied, but then a yawn escaped from her jaws. She covered her mouth and blushed sheepishly. "But I suppose I should clean up and get some sleep first."

"Alright then," Nitrus chuckled. He grabbed a stack of scrolls and curled his wing in towards his side before placing them in the crook made by the membrane. Crona grabbed a scroll in her jaws and walked off to return it. She had not realized until her seventh trip back that she had Amp gather more books than she had originally expected. She immediately felt bad about making the young dragon do so much for her. When she had put away all of the scrolls she glanced around to see if Nitrus was around or anyone was watching. Crona extended a paw towards the first stack of books, lifting them off the floor. She placed her paw back down when she had control of them and walked down one of the isles she remembered seeing Amp go down to retrieve them. She went about neatly organizing them and placing them onto the higher shelves. The white dragoness moved between the isles sorting and putting the books away using her abilities to complete her task quicker.

Meanwhile, Nitrus continued back and forth taking more and more books to their respective resting places on the shelves. Each time he finished and went back to Crona's collection of literature he would find the pile greatly diminished that when he had last left it. Crona was nowhere to be seen as he moved about the isles. At last he returned to see no more books remaining.

"That's odd," he pondered aloud. "I thought there were more books." He started down the isles again looking for the young dragoness. The more he looked around, the more he began to convince himself that she had been getting help from one of the librarians. At last he rounded a corner and looked up to see Crona staring up at the top of the shelf which was over Nitrus's head.

"All done," Crona said with a smile.

"Very well." Nitrus nodded and padded over to her. "Shall we be off then?"

Crona yawned again. "Yeah, that's fine with me." She turned and began making her way towards the entrance to the library. "Not like I have anywhere else to be."

Nitrus found himself puzzled by the subtle remark as he followed after her. As he passed by the spot she had been standing he looked up to see one of the books that had been in Crona's pile placed upon the top shelf. The ice guardian looked at the dragoness as she disappeared around the corner then back to the book.

"Did she just put that thing up there all by herself?" He thought to himself. After a moment he shook his head. "Nah, there's no way she could have. Could she?" He could see that the white dragoness was different from the first moment he laid eyes on her but the ice guardian had no idea just how different Crona really was.

Several more days passed uneventfully. Crona spent most of the time running back and forth between Terra and Amp's home and the library. During that time she read up as much as she could on dragon history and dragon relations with the rest of the world's creatures. So far, all she had read about were past tensions between the apes and wolves. The wolves had freely secluded themselves from the rest of the world whereas the apes only secluded themselves due to a pact between them and the dragon elders of the time.

"So what makes them turn on us?" Crona muttered to herself one day in Terra's room while reviewing her notes.

"What are you talking about?" Amp asked curiously, coming into the main chamber of the pavilion where Crona was busy studying.

"Oh, Amp," She gasped, nearly scrunching her scrolls from jumping in surprise. "Sorry, I was just thinking aloud."

"Is everything okay?" Terra piped up, following Amp out from her room to the main chamber.

"As well as could be expected," Crona muttered under her breath. "I've just been going over some notes and haven't been able to figure out some things."

"Really? Is there anything we can do to help?" Amp took a seat and crossed his paws thoughtfully.

"It's nothing, really." Crona shook her head. "I don't want to trouble you with it."

"Oh come on Crona, what are friends for?" Terra coaxed leaning towards her scrolls trying to read the white dragoness's handwriting. Crona had actually been avoiding using her special abilities when others were around.

Crona sighed. "Fine, if you must know I've been trying to solve the mystery about our friend in the other room." Crona thrust her head towards the guest room.

"You still think apes attacked him, don't you?" Amp muttered darkly.

Crona's fierce blue eyes locked with his cold and violet orbs. "I don't think Ampus. I know."

"But how?" Amp shook his head. "You don't have any proof."

"Look," Crona started raising a paw to him. The gesture was mainly to keep herself calm rather than the lightning dragon. "I don't expect you to believe me or even understand. But I am coming from personal experience here. I can't say how I know, but I'm asking you two to trust what I'm saying."

Terra and Amp exchanged worried and skeptical looks before looking back at the white dragoness. "Crona, we'd love to we really would. But some things just don't make sense or add up."

"That's because you all have led sheltered lives without any exposure to danger like I have." Crona shot back with a growl in her throat. "I've survived near death experiences more than once. I've had to fight for my own survival. I've had to find things out about myself and the world around me that none of you could possibly fathom. So when I say I know what I'm talking about, I mean it in every sense of the term."

"It also sounds like we come from very different worlds," Amp retaliated.

"You have no idea," Crona nearly hissed.

"Okay, we need to settle down here," Terra interrupted. "Crona, do you want to enlighten Amp and I on your history? If you want us to understand you then we have to know about you a little bit."

Crona reared her head back a couple inches as if cringing at the idea. She had been contemplating telling them about her situation but every time she got the idea into her head again her instincts screamed at her to refrain from such an act; and this time was no different.

"I'm sorry. Let's just drop it." Crona shook her head sadly. "I have very... strict... different circumstances than you do about releasing information."

Both Terra and Amp sighed sadly as well. "Well we are here in case you change your mind." Terra placed a paw on top of Crona's.

"Well, on another note," Amp continued. "The council has been discussing allowing you to attend the academy that Terra, Maya and I attend."

"Oh?" Crona raised a suspicious brow. She had been enjoying herself as much as possible spending time at the library every day alone. But now this new academy and its required attendance would definitely hinder her progress in trying to find a way home back to her own time period. But in order to keep up appearances, she would have to go along with it if the council decided to go through with enrolling her in the academy.

As Amp went on to explain what was being discussed with the dragon council, Maya woke from her afternoon nap. The voices of the older dragons were low, indicating that they thought she was still asleep. The little lightning dragoness ducked under her bedroom curtain and crept down the hallway towards the guest room. She glanced over her shoulder once before slipping inside. The room was empty except for the black dragon laying silently on the large cushion in the middle of the room. Her mother had gone out after putting her down for a nap to grab some fresh herbs and medicinal supplies in the forests near the city. Nitrus had gone to the council temple with the other guardians, for what reason he did not say.

Maya crept up to the black dragon and looked him over carefully. His wounds were still fresh and had taken quite a bit of time to stop bleeding. His black scales had a pale tint, indicating his sickness. Thundra had been able to keep the wounds from becoming further infected but the ailment still lingered within the dragon's body. The deep lacerations that covered his hide were covered with stripped medicinal leaves and aloe vera sap pasted on to help the condition of his skin surrounding the wounds.

The little lightning dragoness stared silently for a while; the only noise was the three older dragons talking in the adjacent room. After a while she grew bold enough to reach a paw out and place it on the dragon's side. She could feel the rhythmic pulses of his heart against the pads on her feet.

"Soft," She whispered before moving back to face him. She lowered her head close to his and examined the large leaf that covered his right eye. It was caked on thick with aloe vera sap and would not come off easily. Maya lifted a paw, ready to remove the bandage when suddenly, the black dragon's eye opened.


	7. Chapter 7

"Approximately how many of the council members actually run this academy of yours?" Crona asked skeptically. Amp had been going on about how the dragon guardians were also the teachers at the dragon academy.

"Well each one teaches a different level of skills." Amp went on to explain. Master Kia is our instructor who teaches advanced flight and maneuvering techniques."

"When we move on to the next level of training, we will be under the instruction of Master Tectonica who teaches us how to orient ourselves in a combat environment." Terra continued.

"I can't wait for that class." Amp shivered excitedly. "I get to use all my training up until now in a sparring match. I've been waiting to spar some of the upper class dragons for a while now."

"Just be careful Amp." Terra warned him. "I don't want you getting hurt just because you're overly excited."

The lightning dragon nodded. "I'll do my best to not get too carried away." Amp leaned over and bumped her cheek with his snout to reassure her.

"And what about the others?" Crona asked. "I'm sure it's not just those two who are instructors."

"Well no." Amp scratched his cheek thoughtfully. "I know some of the city elders volunteer their time to the younger dragons like Maya to teach them about using their breath attacks and basic flying drills."

"I also seem to remember that Volcanus is the headmaster of the academy correct?" Crona added.

"Indeed." Terra nodded. "He is the final level in our training. Once we pass his course we'll be certified graduates of the academy and be nominated for high ranking positions throughout the dragon realms."

"Then wouldn't that be the same for every dragon who graduates?" Crona raised a skeptical brow.

"Not necessarily." Amp shook his head. "See, only a select few are chosen for his class to begin with. I know for a fact that Terra and I are candidates."

"Because you're a guardian in training," Crona looked at Amp before turning to face Terra. "And because your father is the current guardian of ice." Both dragons nodded sheepishly almost feeling ashamed that they were getting a free ride. Crona noticed and sighed to herself. "I suppose that makes sense. But what's so special about his course?"

"The fact that he prepares you for the world outside our city." Amp piped up, puffing his chest out proudly. "We'll be council level dragons and be able to take a more direct role in making decisions to help dragon kind prosper."

"I see." Crona nodded and scratched her chin. Perhaps if she stayed here in this time she could easily out last the other dragons and possibly do something to help stop the war with the apes from ever happening. At the very least she could help lead the dragon forces against the apes in hopes of ending it swiftly if for some reason she was not able to stop it's initiation.

Crona was lost in her private thoughts when a scream ripped through the dragon's pavilion. The three older dragons all jumped to their feet in alarm.

"Maya?" Terra cried frantically and whirled down the hallway with Amp and Crona close behind.

"It sounded like it came from the guest room!" Amp exclaimed. The three dragons ducked under the curtain, nearly tearing it on their horns and spines. Terra quickly looked around and spotted her younger sister curled around herself in the corner of the room, trembling like a leaf in the wind. Amp and Crona immediately noticed the male black dragon on the giant pillow cushion struggling to rise up on his feet. His leafy bandages, arching spines at the base of his tail and serrated tail blade gave him a sinister and threatening appearance as he stared at the four dragons with his one visible eye. Amp snarled and jumped in front of Terra and Maya with his wings spread and head lowered to the floor.

"Amp it's all right!" Crona calls. "Don't hurt him."

The black dragon's eye fell on Crona. It was a near perfect royal blue against the pale dark scales of his face. The black dragon groaned and forced himself to stand upright.

"Don't! You'll hurt yourself!" Crona protested and made a step towards him. The black dragon snarled at her causing her to stop in her tracks.

"I suggest you listen to her." Amp raised up out of his fighting stance, hesitant on moving away from Terra and Maya. "You should be relaxing right now, your wounds haven't fully healed yet.

The black dragon looked at Amp, then Crona. He reared his head back and brought his tail blade around to his front. Crona watched in horror as he leveled the spikes that extruded from the main blade with his heart.

"No!" The white dragoness screamed as the black dragon went to collapse on top of his own tail blade. Suddenly the whole room stood still as Maya, Terra, Amp and the black dragon stood frozen in space. Crona rushed forward and rammed the black dragon in the chest with her horns. At the moment of impact she released her hold on time and the black dragon slammed hard against the back wall. He gave a loud astonished gasp as blood spilled from his throat and stained the leaf covering the laceration across his chest scales. Terra and Amp stood stunned as they watched the black body crumble to the floor in a mangled heap. Crona walked over to the dragon and stared down at him. The black dragon looked up at her with mournful eyes as darkness continued to take over.

"Why," he wheezed as more blood trickled from the corner of his mouth. He opened his maw to say something else but what little strength had been in him was now gone. His eye closed and his muscles relaxed as he fell back into unconsciousness.

Crona stood dumbstruck before him. She had reacted on pure instinct and completely exposed herself in front of Amp and Terra. She looked over her shoulder expecting to see them staring at her but, much to her surprise, they had their eyes fixated on the black dragon crumpled on the floor. Terra still had her wing wrapped protectively around Maya who had her face buried in her sister's chest.

"What was that all about?" Amp asked curiously eyeing Crona. He felt like he had just blinked and the black dragon had been knocked backwards without Crona even moving.

"I have no idea." Crona shook her head as she stared down at the unconscious dragon. She ignored the fact that Amp was referring to her and trying to keep his attention directed on the wounded dragon. Deep down she felt a sick churning in her gut as she pondered the possibility of being found out.

"We'd better tell your dad about this." Amp said, turning back to Terra and Maya, making sure both girls were unharmed.

"What do we do with him?" Terra almost whimpered in fright as she looked at the black dragon. The expression on her face showed pure terror and Crona found herself more curious than concerned about Terra's reaction.

"I suggest we just move him back on the bed for now." The white dragoness sighed breaking herself of her curious nature for a moment. "Then we go get your parents and let them know."

"Alright." Terra nodded shakily.

"Why don't you two go out into the main chamber and wait for anyone to come home." Amp suggested. "No reason you two have to be burdened by this."

"Y-yeah." Terra murmured. "Good idea." She got up as Amp and Crona proceeded to hoist the black dragon off the floor and drag him over to the bed cushion again. Crona watched as Terra led Maya out of the room and glanced down at the black dragon. She suddenly felt extremely angry and disgusted in him. He had just tried to kill himself after being rescued from drowning. What made it even worse was that he had tried taking his own life in front of a dragoness no more than five years of age.

Crona growled to herself and let her end roughly fall onto the bed. Amp noticed but said nothing. He stared down at the black dragon with suspicious eyes before walking out of the room.

"So, our survivor has awakened?" Volcanus bobbed his head steadily.

It was late in the afternoon moving towards the early hours of the evening. Amp had rushed to the council hall to inform Nitrus of the black dragon's awakening which caused a flurry of agitation from the ice guardian. Nitrus had hurriedly left his seat in the circle and flown back to his home, bursting through the front doorway calling his daughters names. After finally calming him down Crona, Amp and Terra had followed him back to the council temple once Thundra returned to watch after Maya. The three young dragons all listened to Nitrus explain what they had told him with a grim taste in their mouths.

"It's good to see that our fellow dragon has survived." Kia nodded in agreement. "I must admit it did seem like the odds were stacked against him for a time there."

"More or less." Nitrus said under his breath. He glanced down at Crona and Amp. The lightning dragon stood close to his daughter and had a wing draped over her, holding her close. Crona on the other hand wore a stern glare as she eyed the council members . She did not like having to be in front of them despite realizing that they were ignorant of events to come. Her sky-blue eyes drifted over to the water guardian Cryus who smiled at her warmly, his gold armor glinting in the candlelight. Crona curled a lip slightly and averted her eyes.

Nitrus continued with his report. "He was asleep when I returned. But ultimately it is as you said, he has regained consciousness."

"And we welcome our fellow dragon back into the world of the living." Tectonica gave a half smile and Crona could immediately see how forced it was. There was a subtle tone in her voice that sparked a sense of caution from the white dragoness. "It's very nice to see he is as much of a survivor as the rest of us."

Crona almost scoffed aloud. "Yeah, if you count the fact he tried to kill himself after waking up." Nitrus and the council didn't hear her but Terra and Amp did. The two huddled closer to one another and Amp proceeded to make soft soothing whispers to Terra to keep her calm. To Crona, Terra seemed even more shaken up by the black dragon than little Maya. The grey dragoness hadn't left Amps side since they arrived at the temple.

Nitrus cleared his throat and looked Volcanus square in the eye. "Perhaps, now that he is somewhat better, we may look into the possibility of relocating him too another living facility."

"I would beg for you to let him stay a little longer Nitrus." Volcanus shook his head as if apologizing for suggesting the idea. "At least until he's fully recovered. Perhaps," he glanced at the other council members who locked their eyes on him. "Maybe we can educate him in our ways."

"Do you really believe that's a wise idea?" Tectonica asked suspiciously. "I mean," She glanced at Terra who looked away as if ashamed of some dark secret.

"It's the dragon way." Kia spoke up. "I know the circumstances of having the black dragon here. We all do." The other council members nodded alongside her. "But it would be more ethical of us to give him a chance before passing judgement."

"That is a foolish choice." Tectonica nearly spat causing Kia to rear back with her fangs bared. The earth guardian glanced at the younger dragons and lowered her voice as she leaned in towards the wind dragoness. "If we go along with that we may be setting ourselves up for disaster. Would you really want to jeopardize all of what we have just for the sake of being ethical?"

"I'm suggesting it," Kia hissed sternly. "Because we may be able to change what has been predicted! And for the better of all dragons everywhere!"

"That's enough, both of you!" Volcanus's voice echoed throughout the chamber. Kia and Tectonica fell silent and turned to the fire guardian. "We all know the circumstances that ride upon this decision." He leaned forward and looked at the white dragon on the crystal pedestal. "Master Sin, what would be your suggestion?"

Crona turned to look at the white, wingless dragon to see he had his icy white eyes locked on her. She froze and narrowed her eyes at him. Both white dragons shared a long tense stare as they sized each other up. Crona felt a growl resonate deep in her throat as she concentrated on the energy around her. Sin's energy was flowing gracefully around him; she could sense it. He was powerful but even she could outmatch him in any fight.

"I believe," Sin spoke up in a tone that sounded surprisingly like a child's voice. "That Master Nitrus should allow the black dragon to room with his family until he proves himself otherwise ready to leave."

There was a mild gasp from the council members as they looked at one another. Nitrus's jaw dropped as he looked at the oracle in dismay then back to Volcanus.

"Very well then." The blue fire dragon sat upright. "The black dragon shall remain in your care Master Nitrus until further notice."

"They can't be serious." Amp thought to himself. The very thought of the black dragon caused his quills to stand on end and emit slight charges of electricity. Terra felt the surge and yipped in surprise.

"Amp!" She scolded hurtfully.

"I'm sorry." The young dragon replied remorsefully and nuzzled her cheek. He looked over at Crona who was busy eyeing the guardians with a suspicious eye. The more she looked at them the more her eyes seemed to narrow. Amp wasn't sure if she fully knew what was going on but right now Crona was not his concern. His only priority right now was protecting his dragoness.

Thundra padded out of the storage room and into the guest room. Maya lay on her back, coiled into a little scaly ball between her shoulder blades. The little lightning dragoness was close to falling asleep but each time Thundra entered the guest room, Maya would raise her head alertly to peer down at the sleeping dragon.

"Dear, why don't you run off to your room and try and get some sleep." Thundra murmured softly after the fifth time.

"No! I don't want to! I want to stay with you!" Maya protested over energetically.

"You're getting tired sweetie. You need your rest."

"But I want to stay with you!" Maya whined even louder. This caused a soft murmur from the black dragon. Thundra turned away from her daughter and Maya squeaked in surprise. Slowly the black dragon's eye opened. The head of a large sleek yellow dragoness before him was blurry and he had to blink several times before he could focus on the mother before him.

"Good, you're wake." Thundra whispered gently so as not to alarm him. It was her own personal opinion that Maya being in the room had startled the black dragon in the first place; she was not going to make the same mistake.

The black dragon only opened his mouth slightly to take in a deep breath or air before sighing loudly. When he sighed the wind in the room picked up and blew several of the medicinal leaves around.

"Goodness," Thundra exclaimed mildly. "A wind dragon. What a rare sight you are." The black dragon only stared at her silently, his eye making quick movements around the room, taking in his surroundings. When he was sure of himself he started to move his right forelimb. "Oh no you don't." Thundra stopped him by placing a large talon on top of his paw. "You need to rest. No moving around for you until I say so." The dragon only stared at her silently. After a long awkward silence Maya peeked over her mother's shoulder. When the blue eye fell on her she ducked back out of sight. The black dragon didn't so much as twitch a muscle.

"Well then, I suppose since you're up we should get some food in

you." Thundra raised up and reached back with her tail to slide a fairly large bowl of fruits and meats forward. She also moved a dish of water up to the edge of the cushion so the dragon could drink from it. Much to her surprise he crawled forward a little and submerged his snout into the pan of water. Thundra watched with wide eyes as the black dragon inhaled the water into his maw. The cool soothing liquid was gone in a matter of minutes. When the pan was empty, the black dragon inhaled deeply, creating a vacuum into his mouth that sucked up the remaining droplets of water.

"Dear ancestors, you were thirsty!" Thundra nearly slapped herself in the head in surprise. The black dragon only rested his head back on the pillow and stared at the wall. He sighed again but didn't say anything. Thundra looked from the empty water dish to the food tray. "Aren't you hungry? You should eat. You've been without food for over a week, you have to be starving." The black dragon only blinked once and Thundra fell silent as well. She picked up the water dish in her talons and turned towards the curtain. "I'll be right back, I'm going to fetch you some more water." She looked down at the tray of fruits and meats then back to the dragon. "Do try to eat some though. A dragon your age needs to be eating as much as possible." She ducked under the curtain with Maya staring back over her tail before disappearing from sight.

The young dragon looked at the tray of food. He sniffed at it and immediately his stomach growled. He shut his eye until the hunger pains went away but continued to stare at the tray. He was definitely hungry, there was no doubt in his mind about that; but his desire to live was long gone. He could not bring himself to lean over and fill his stomach with life-giving nutrients. The black dragon sighed again and closed his eye and let himself start to slip away.

"He woke up again?" Nitrus's brows jumped in surprise and he stared down at the sleeping black dragon.

"He sure did," Thundra bobbed her head slightly then looked sadly at the tray of untouched food in front of the black dragon's nose. "He drank a full pan of water too."

"Did he say anything?" Crona asked as she kept her eyes fixed on the dragon's closed eyelid.

"Not a word. Just sighed over and over again." Thundra looked at her mate with a solemn stare. "It almost makes me think that he's gone through some horrible traumatic experience from the way he kept sighing on and on."

"That goes without saying." Crona thought to herself as she inspected the black dragon's chest wound. It had been cleaned and re-bandaged with fresh leaves since they had left that afternoon.

Nitrus stared down at the black dragon with an uncertain look in his eyes. He could hardly find it within himself to go along with the council's request seeing the upstart created by this dragon's awakening and the effect it had on his family. Thundra could sense the tension building up inside the ice guardian and planted a kiss on his cheek, snapping him out of his trance.

"We should get some rest. Perhaps he'll be more willing to talk tomorrow if he wakes up."

"Hm," Nitrus growled before turning away from the dragon. Thundra escorted him and Crona out of the room before blowing out the candles with a gentle swish of her wing.

The sound of crunching woke Crona from her sleep. The sound was subtle at first and it jolted her out of her sleep. She was about to dismiss the sound when another crunch brought her mind out of its slumber. The dragoness raised her head and looked around groggily. The crunching was soon replaced by a loud smacking noise and mild slurping. The white dragoness got to her feet with an irritated groan and staggered out of Terra's room and down the hallway. The noise was surprisingly loud yet no one else had woken up from it. The sound was coming from the guest room and Crona growled to herself.

"Oh great," She muttered in her mind. She crept up to the doorway and peeked in from behind the curtain. Inside the room, in the glow of the full moons was the black dragon. He had forced himself to rise on the pillow cushion and was gorging himself on the tray of food Thundra had left. He chewed down the succulent meats and devoured the fruits before licking up every morsel and scrap left. Once the tray was empty he lifted his head to the ceiling. Crona saw the way he winced in pain as he took in a deep breath and sighed, this time more in sad satisfaction rather than depression.

Crona's eyes widened when she saw the black dragon bring his tail blade to his front again and inspect it.

"No! Not again!" She screamed in her mind. She wanted to rush in and knock some sense into him but some part of her kept her from doing so.

The black dragon spent several long quiet minutes inspecting his spiked blade in silence. t last he took in a deep breath and sighed, closing his eyes and groaning in pain. He had no idea the white dragoness was watching him until she slipped gracefully under the curtain in the doorway.

"Planning on killing yourself again?" The black dragon jumped in surprise inciting another wave of pain to sweep through him. However he remained silent as Crona took a couple of bold steps towards him. "You know, you're lucky to be alive right now. If we hadn't been at the silver river that day you would have died for sure. But Amp carried you all the way back here and Thundra took care of you every single day. I know that you were attacked by apes and that's how I know you're lucky to have survived such an encounter." The black dragon only kept his stare fixed on the white dragoness's blue eyes. If he showed any sign of recognition or acknowledgment to her words, he didn't show it. "But after all the trouble we went through to rescue you and take care of you, you're ready to just throw it all away." Crona thrust a wing out to the side in angry frustration. "Without any consideration." She narrowed her eyes at the black dragon. "Do you have anything to say for yourself? Or do you even care?"

The black dragon was silent for a minute. Just when Crona was about to give up on expecting any sort of intelligent answer from him he spoke.

"You may as well have just left me for dead." He growled in a low voice. "You may have just been doing me a favor."

"That may be true." Crona nodded mockingly. "But next time be sure to leave a note so good dragons don't go out of their way to save you for no purpose."

The black dragon narrowed his eye at her. "Why did you stop me earlier? You don't know what I've been through. You don't know whether or not I wanted to be saved."

"True," Crona paused to think of an answer that would put the dragon in his place. "I'm not one to tell you how to live your life. But if you're going to kill yourself then do it elsewhere where no one has to clean up after you or your mess. And especially not in front of a little girl."

The two dragons continued to glare at each other curling their lips into silent snarls. At last Crona straightened up and gave a curt turn, the tip of her tail spade catching the tip of the black dragon's nose. The male dragon snarled and made a move to come after her but his legs were still weak and he fell onto the cushion. Crona smirked at him and raised the curtain with her wing barbs.

"I don't care what happens to you. But don't make others suffer because of your own misfortunes or your actions."

Before the black dragon could reply Crona disappeared behind the veil leaving him in silence with his mouth hung open. The dragon closed his mouth and looked down at his tail blade a several minutes and brought it to his chest yet again. The tip of his tail twitched in eager anticipation to plunge into his flesh but the stabbing pain never came. He looked up at the curtain to see if she was watching at all and then looked back down at his blade. After a loud sigh of despair he sank into the softness of the cushion.

"Damn it." He whispered to himself as tears streamed down his cheeks.

Outside the room Crona remained outside the doorway listening to what he would do next. When she heard him flop down with a dejected sigh she smirked to herself feeling triumphant in having gotten through to the black dragon.

The next morning Thundra walked into the guest room to see the entire tray of food picked clean and a pleased grin spread across her face.


	8. Chapter 8

Several days passed by at a snail's pace for the wounded black dragon. Several times a day, Thundra would come in to provide him with fresh water and food; each time he would drink his fill and eat half of what was presented and save the rest for later.

"You don't have feel obligated to eat it all." Thundra tried to reassure him when she started to notice this habit.

"It shouldn't go to waste." The dragon replied almost too quiet to hear. "I'm already enough of a burden on your family as it is. I don't want to take any more than what I need to survive."

"Oh nonsense." Thundra waved a dismissive paw with a mild laugh to try and lighten the dragon's attitude. "When you're in this home you are family. We said the same thing to Crona when she first showed up here."

The black dragon raised a brow but said nothing. He only sighed as he seemed to do a thousand times an hour and lay his head back down his front paws. Thundra gave a soft sigh herself and pat the young male on head being gentle not to traumatize his head injuries too much.

Each time Thundra went to dress his wounds again he would make a show of being able to stand on his own before her as if it were his mission to show that he could take care of himself. Thundra would try and get him to relax but the dragon would stand firm and unmoving. Only when the lightning dragoness had finished her work would he settle back down on the cushion.

It was nearly two weeks after his awakening that the black dragon was taken outside the confines of Thundra's home. Nitrus had arranged a meeting between the black dragon and the council as soon as the young male had proven he could walk on his own.

As the procession consisting of Nitrus' family walked through the streets the black dragon spent his time glancing around the towering pavilions and temples, acting as if he were completely calm about the whole situation. Crona watched him out of the corner of her eye as she walked on the other side of Nitrus away from him. The look of disinterest in the city around him seemed to annoy her to no end.

"What is his deal?" She thought to herself. "He acts like nothing matters in this world and that he's so tough." Her thoughts flashed to when she had first spoken to him. She had wished she didn't have to talk to such a lowlife but she was also glad to have put him in his place. She imagined him coming after her when she had swatted his nose with her tail that she would have frozen him in time before striking him again as she had done earlier that day. As Crona drifted off into her thoughts Terra and Amp trudged along behind them, warily watching the black dragon.

"It's alright you two." Thundra whispered to them, causing both of them to jump. "He's not going to hurt you."

"Mom," Terra looked at her with pleading eyes.

"Terra, mind your manners. Nothing is going to happen." Thundra insisted more forcefully. Terra bit her lip and nudged closer to Amp nearly stepping on his paws as they walked.

Nitrus led his family down the long corridor to the council conference chamber. The black dragon continued to look disinterested as the great metal doors creaked open. Once inside they closed behind them with a loud clang. It didn't take long for his eyes to adjust to the darkness. A sudden burst of fire from Volcanus' jaws alerted the black dragon who jolted and groaned from the lingering pain in his wings. The candles and torches illuminated the chamber and the black dragon found himself staring at the half circle of dragon guardians. Nitrus moved over to his pedestal and Amp took a seat on his beside him. Crona took the time to glance around the room to see if anything was different and found that Cryus was staring at her yet again.

"Oh brother," she sighed to herself and rolled her eyes away from him.

"Greetings young dragon." Volcanus stood up on his pedestal. "I welcome you to our grand city. I am Volcanus, guardian of fire within the dragon realm." The black dragon only stared at him silently and listened with an air of disinterest as each member of the council stood up and introduced themselves. At last when all had been seated Volcanus stood up again.

"We have taken quite the interest in you young dragon. You were brought to our city with a very slim chance for survival and yet your strong will has pulled you through so that you may stand here before us today." The black dragon's muzzle twitched slightly but he remained silent.

"If you are willing we would like to ask you some questions before we get down to the business of why we have summoned you here." Kia spoke up trying to put on a more friendly tone to the interrogation.

The black dragon's blue eye moved to the dragoness then back to the blue fire guardian.

"I hear no objections." Tectonica said plainly as she looked the black dragon over in disinterest. He looked very dirty as he stood before them, Thundra's medicinal leaves plastered all across his body. The earth guardian found it rather insulting.

"So let us begin." Volcanus smiled glancing at her from the corner of his eye. Tectonica felt his eyes on her and straightened her posture trying to make herself look as superior as possible. "Young dragon, our greatest concern with you being brought to our city, is what could have done such a, horrid and ghastly thing to you. We know that dragons who grow up outside our society do not always mature without a single mark on them. But from the way you were found and from what we've heard," Volcanus glanced over at Crona who ground her teeth in mild irritation as if being called out on an issue. "The source of your injuries may not have been caused by petty fighting as most outside dragons are known for. Is that true?"

The council members all looked down at the black dragon in light anticipation for an answer. The black dragon paused seeming to stare through Volcanus as he recalled his past memories.

"Come on," Crona urged in her mind. "Tell them what I know. I know what happened to you. Just tell them! We can stop this war before it has a chance to escalate!" The dragoness didn't realize it but her talons were digging into the marble again.

After what seemed like an hour the black dragon closed his eyes as if trying to hide away his pain.

"I don't want to talk about it." He mumbled. The council all rustled in their seats and Crona's jaw nearly hit the floor.

"You've got to be kidding me!" She screamed in her head. "You don't want to talk about it?"

"That's understandable." Volcanus nodded. "Being left in such a, scarred, state can be mot traumatizing to a dragon, especially one of your age. Would you care to tell us where your family might be? I'm certain that they may be worried about you being gone for so long." Once again the black dragon was silent. He lowered his gaze and refused to make eye contact with the council members.

Off to the side Crona was going nuts inside her own mind. "Damn you! I've been trying to stop something terrible from happening and you are not helping!" She grew so infuriated she let out a groan as she ordered time to halt in its place. She walked right up to the black dragon as he stared at the floor. "You idiot! Do I have to smack some sense into you?"

"Don't." A sudden voice caused her to jump and squeak in alarm. Crona whirled around to see Sin staring at her calmly.

"H-how... how did...how are you..."

"I'll explain later." Sin waved a paw. "But for now you need to let things play out as they should."

Crona was dumbstruck. Sin could see the astonished confusion in her eyes and gently waved for her to go back to her spot where she had been standing. Crona wobbled back into position and took a deep breath. She looked back at Sin and he nodded to her.

"Do not worry. I'm a friend." He positioned himself properly and waited for Crona to release her hold on time. When she did she still stared dumbly at the oracle on his crystal pedestal.

"I can see you don't wish to talk about them at this point in time." Volcanus surmised taking a glance at the other council members.

"Perhaps they were the cause of his current condition?" Tectonica suggested. The black dragon closed his eyes again and grit his teeth as he tried to drown out the words around him.

"Would you care to take us to your home sometime?" Kia asked trying to sound more motherly. She seemed to be the only other dragon that could sense the negative energy surrounding the dark-skinned dragon. The black dragon shook his head.

"Is there anything that you do wish to discuss with us at this moment?" Volcanus inquired leaning down towards the young male, hoping his size might entice the youngster to speak up. The black dragon raised his head and looked the fire guardian in the eye. Volcanus could see the darkness of the young dragon's heart in his eyes. But there was also something lingering beyond the darkness, something he could not quite place his claw on. "I guess not." Volcanus sighed in defeat.

"So what now?" Nitrus asked tilting his head to the side so he could peer at Volcanus at an angle. Off to the side, next to Cryus, Amp looked up at his mentor and the fire guardian. Something was going on between them that he had no idea about and he subconsciously braced himself for what was about to be said.

"Well," Volcanus cleared his throat and straightened himself up. "After much deliberating with the council we have decided that in light of the current circumstances, Crona and our new guest shall attend to the dragon academy."

"What?" Crona's attention snapped from Sin to the fire guardian. Even the black dragon's eye brows jumped slightly. Terra looked over at Amp with a look of fright on her face. Amp raised a paw off his cushion as a gesture for her to remain calm. Terra settled down but still looked edgy as she stared at the back of the black dragon's head.

"In two days you both will be enrolled in the dragon academy alongside young Ampus and Terra." Crona glanced at the lightning dragon whereas the black dragon took a quick look at Terra over his shoulder before the two turned their attention back to the council. "We are aware that Ampus and Terra are both younger than you two." Volcanus continued. "But considering how little we know about you both we feel it would be best to start you on their level. That way we can see what you two are capable of in a controlled environment."

"That sounds rather pointless." The black dragon spoke up, surprising everyone in the room. "If you're looking for a display of my abilities I don't think I should have to prove myself in comparison with other dragons. I can take care of myself just fine on my own."

"You sure proved that." Crona muttered inciting a hostile leer from the young male.

"Do you think you should have to prove yourself as a dragon?" He demanded. "Why can't they just take your word for it that you know what you're doing? Every one of us dragons is different! Why should we have to prove that we're like every other dragon around?"

Crona suddenly fell silent. "Like... every other dragon..." She parroted in a hushed tone almost as if she were in frozen in shock. The black dragon narrowed his eye at her suspiciously and was about to speak again when Volcanus interrupted him.

"Do not think of this enrollment as a test of your worth young dragon. Think of it as a development of your current skills. We encourage all young dragons to attend this academy in order to shape the leaders of our future."

"Who knows," Kia added cheerfully. "You may even be one yourself. You could have the makings of greatness. You just don't realize it."

The black dragon only snorted and turned towards the main door. He sucked in a deep breath of air and gave a quick, powerful exhale, blowing the great metal doors wide open. The dragons all stared at him with wide eyes as he walked away down the hall in disgust. "Oh, and one more thing." He stopped and glanced back at them with his good eye. "It's Certo." And with that he dismissed himself leaving the council dumbfounded at what they had just witnessed.

Thundra watched as the black dragon disappeared into the hallway before turning to look at her mate. He nodded and she smiled thankfully at him before urging Crona and Terra to follow her. The two young females complied with her request and left the conference hall.

When she was certain they were out of ear shot Tectonica gave an angry snort. "What a disgraceful beast! He's even more outrageous than that white dragoness."

"I think you're being a bit judgmental." Sin spoke up, grabbing the earth dragoness's attention. "Both have reasons for the way they are. You can't honestly hold that against them."

"And I think that you are being blinded by your compassion for them." The guardian shot back. "You're the one who predicted what was to come when that black monstrosity arrived. How can you be changing your point of view so suddenly?"

"Ampus," Nitrus spoke up grabbing the lighting dragon's attention. Amp perked up and looked at his mentor. Nitrus made a signal with his paw and Amp nodded once he understood what was being said. "Be careful." Nitrus called after him.

"I will." Amp called back before running out of the temple and into the streets. He looked around to see Thundra walking away with Terra and Crona with Maya on her back in her usual spot; but they were not his objective right now. Amp turned in a circle trying to spot the black dragon in the streets but passers by blocked his vision. "Damn it," he cursed to himself. He spread his wings and took to the air hoping that he could find the dragon before it was too late.

As Thundra walked the girls back to their home, Terra noticed Crona starting to lag behind them. The white dragoness hung her head, staring at the ground in deep thought. The expression on her face showed deep concern but for what, Terra was not certain.

"Hey mom," She spoke up catching her mother's attention. "I'm going to go out with Crona for a little while. You know. Girl time."

"Very well," Thundra nodded. "But don't be gone too long. I don't want your father to worry too much when he gets home."

"We won't." Terra shook her head. She paused and waited for Crona to catch up as her mother continued with Maya towards their home. Crona was so lost in her own little world she nearly bumped into Terra. "Are you okay? You haven't been the same since we left the temple," the ice dragoness pointed out.

"I... uh..."Crona paused to try and reorganize her jumbled thoughts. Terra studied her friend's expression for a moment before speaking.

"Does it have to do with you attending the dragon academy?"

Crona hung her head again. "Partly."

"Just partly?"

The white dragoness sighed. "Terra, I've been so lost and confused since I arrived here. It wasn't until Amp took me to the library that I was actually learning about this place, and realizing what was going on around me." She glanced back over her shoulder. "But back there with the council, that dragon just..." She shook her head in frustration and her wings fluttered against her sides. "I thought I was going to be able to prove something to the council because I had another possible witness or piece of evidence."

"You mean the ape thing?" Terra frowned at having to hear about such a subject again.

Crona nodded, noticing the expression on the grey dragoness's face. "I thought that I was on to something. But I guess I was wrong." She lied about the last sentence. She felt bad about lying to someone who trusted her but after considering her circumstances, part of Crona felt it necessary for the time being.

"We can't all be right all the time." Terra placed a comforting paw on top of Crona's. "We have to give and take equally." Crona only gave a depressed sigh. Terra could see her friend's eyes gloss over with tears. She moved closer to Crona and pulled her into a hug with her wings. The white dragoness did not reject the gesture but refused to let the tears fall. She sighed deeply and leveled her head on Terra's shoulder. The younger dragoness was still shorter than her and Crona had to crane her neck down in order to rest her head. "It's going to be okay Crona. I promise."

The white dragoness lifted her head. "Don't make promises like that. Because you have no idea what the future holds for you." Terra was stunned by Crona's words and released her from the embrace.

"What do you mean?" She asked worriedly.

Crona paused to think for another moment. There was no way she could tell this innocent little dragoness what was to come one day. It would do no good in bringing stress and worry to her and her family if Crona went on to talk about a horrible war and then be able to prevent such a thing now that she was stuck in the past.

"Never mind, forget I even mentioned it. It was stupid of me."

"I understand." Terra nodded.

Crona walked over to the shade of a pavilion and sat down beside it. Terra followed and casually sat beside her. She could tell Crona had lots on her mind and that this one possibly the first time she had opened up to anyone.

"Terra, what do you know about Sin?"

"Sin?" Terra's head jerked back as if she had been struck. "I, uh, don't know much."

"Then what _do_ you know about him?"

"Um, well." Terra scratched her chin as she tried to recall her father's testimonies on the white, wingless council member. "I've only met him a few times and only talked to him once or twice in my entire life. He goes to the academy with me, Amp and Maya but he's in a separate group of students. I hear he has no breath attacks or elemental magic powers of any sort which makes him exempt from most of the lessons in flying and elemental power we learn."

"I see." Crona nodded. This Sin was starting to sound like a familiar character. Pure white scales, no natural breath attacks, immune to her time control ability. The only aspect that she couldn't quite grasp was his lack of wings.

"Yeah, you'd think he'd get picked on by some of the other dragons but they all stay out of his way. As a white dragon and a council member, not to mention being an oracle, he's extremely respected."

"Respected, or feared?" Crona thought to herself. "As an oracle, what does he do that makes him so special?"

"He predicts the future for us. Well, more like actually sees the future."

"You don't say," Crona raised a brow. Her feeling about Sin was slowly dying away as she began to piece together a new hypothesis about him.

Terra nodded. "Lots of dragon families go to see him when expecting their own offspring. Sin usually tells them good fortunes but there are the occasional family that get bits of bad news."

"Anyone in particular?" Terra only hung her head. "Oh, sorry. Did you lose a sibling? Or was it when Amp lost his parents?" Crona immediately felt guilty for being so nosey.

"No, nothing like that." Terra shook her head. "But I'd rather not talk about it right now."

"I understand." Crona nodded. The two girls sat in silence for several minutes. Crona found herself wondering about what prediction could possibly affect Terra so much. She thought back to when she had frozen the council and Sin stopping her from smacking some sense into the black dragon. As she reflected on the incident another question popped into her head. "Terra, what's with the council?"

"What do you mean?" Terra looked at her, with wide and confused eyes.

"The way they look at that black dragon, Certo, right?" Terra nodded. "They have this look in their eyes like they don't like him already after just meeting him. I mean I can understand that they don't like him considering I already think he's an idiot. But they look at him like he's almost inferior."

"Well that's because he is." Terra replied. Crona was shocked that she would ever admit such a thing.

"What?"

"Well think about it. He's a wild dragon." Terra extended a paw towards the trees beyond the city. "He was raised out there where there's no law, no order. Just dragons and beasts doing whatever they want without thinking about the possible consequences."

Crona narrowed her eyes at the grey dragoness. "That sounds like something you were told and that you've memorized."

Terra froze, astonished that she was being called out and caught on such a subject. "Well, yeah. That's what they teach us in the academy. The world needs order. And those who do not wish to follow it will be the downfall of civilization." She paused to look out at the city around them. "I think that's why the council decided to educate Certo. If they can civilize one feral dragon, then that's hope for the future."

"You don't seriously believe that do you?" Crona nearly spat.

"I do." Terra turned and gave her a stern look. "You saw what that black brute was about to do when he woke up. He could have hurt Maya!"

"I'm not denying it." Crona shook her head. "But I don't look at him as an inferior creature. He's a dragon like everyone else." The last sentence struck a painful note in Crona's heart. She sighed as she ordered the pain to go away.

Terra paused to think about her words. After a long silence she shook her head. "I'm sorry Crona, but I just can't go along with that."

"Why not? Because he's different?" Crona could feel her temper rising.

"I just can't!" Terra snapped and abruptly got to her feet and stomped away. Crona watched her go with a confused expression.

"What did I say?"

Amp flew over the building rooftops of the city, his eyes constantly scanning for he black dragon.

"Damn it, where is he!" He snarled to himself. He flew on for another five minutes before reaching the southern edge of the city. Beyond it were nothing but forest and hills leading to the valley. The lightning dragon turned back towards the city, assuming that the black dragon had in fact left the city. His spirits seemed to lift a little as he flew back towards home. As he passed over a large plaza he happened to glance down and his heart sank. Sitting in the shadow of one of the pavilions was Certo. The black dragon was lying on his stomach with his chin resting on his paws and his tail curled around him, his tail blade covered by his wing.

Amp sighed and glided down towards the plaza. "Hey," he called to the black dragon catching his eye. "I've been looking for you." Certo didn't answer. He just kept his eye fixed on the yellow dragon. "Um," Amp swallowed as he thought of something to say. "It's Certo right?" The black dragon only blinked once but it was a clear sign to Amp that he had remembered his name correctly. "Well Certo, why don't you come with me? I've been asked by Nitrus to show you around the city." It wasn't a total lie but Amp hoped that the black dragon would not be able to detect the nervous tone in his voice.

Certo stared silently for a moment then groaned as he got to his feet. As he turned to face Amp, the lightning dragon realized how much taller Certo really was. The black dragon's neck was longer than most males but its musculature didn't give it the slender grace seen in female dragons. His tail was exceptionally long as well. If it had not been for the spiked tail blade at the end it would have made a nasty whip if he had chosen to strike anyone with it. Certo's body was also longer than most males his age. His mid section was slim yet muscular and was covered by thick grey scales which were scarred horrifically.

Amp chuckled nervously and turned to lead the way out f the plaza. The next couple hours seemed to drag on for the young lightning dragon as he showed his guest around his home. Each time he glanced over his shoulder he could see Certo staring at the buildings and statues as well as the elaborate decorations on many of the walls telling the history of the city and dragon civilization. However, if the black dragon had taken any interest in the sights he did not show it.

Before he knew it, Amp was in the upper residential section of the city where the council and other guardians resided. He pointed out Nitrus' home and the more elaborate designs of their pavilions compared to the other dragons of the city.

"We even have our own private spots to train, work and even relax." Amp added as he continued to be Certo's docent. He led the black dragon around some of the private temples of the elders and to a pair of gates that led to a grand, open garden. All around were ponds with lily pads peppering the surfaces, foxtails in the far corners of the main pond, and the gentle croaking of tree frogs could be heard all around the area. Amp guided Certo over a small bridge and over to one of the ponds before sitting down beside it. Certo sat down as well but continued to look back over his shoulder at the elder pavilions beyond the gate. It took Amp several minutes to realize what the black dragon was staring at. "If you don't mind me asking, what do you have against the council? I mean, it was your first time meeting them."

Certo turned his head and looked at Amp with his fierce, blue eye. "Because." He turned away leaving Amp to scratch his head in confusion.

"Because? Because what? They didn't do anything to you. If anything they're giving you a chance to become better at the academy, whatever it is that you may do."

Certo turned and looked Amp square in the eye. "You recite that as if they've trained you to memorize it."

"Well I am going to be guardian one day." Amp announced proudly puffing out his chest. "I have to be able to follow them in order to become great one day."

Certo curled his lip. "You're still young. You have yet to learn what the world is really like."

Amp narrowed his eyes at Certo. "You're still young too. So you can't lecture me on how I don't know what the world is like."

Certo stood up on his hind legs and loomed over the young dragon. Amp felt a genuine stab of fear in his heart as the black dragon spread his wings to their full length. "I would willingly bet my life that I have experienced far more than you ever have in this world. Despite the fact you may be a guardian one day or whatever, you're still naive about what goes on around you."

"What are you talking about?" Amp squinted, genuinely confused by the statement.

Certo sighed and sat back down on the ground, this time facing the young lightning dragon. "Your council, or guardians, as you say." He glanced over his shoulder at the pavilions. "They look down on me. They see me as inferior. They give me something thinking that I need it when they know nothing about me."

"They don't look at you like you're inferior." Amp protested trying to protect his peers from false accusations. "They're just trying to be accommodating."

Certo almost laughed in his face but instead turned and looked up at the late afternoon sun getting ready to set over the horizon. "I can see it in their eyes. They fear me and pity me."

Amp raised a skeptical brow. He knew the other guardians were aware of the prophecy but Certo, who had never been informed of such a thing seemed to be highly keen on his senses about other dragons. "How can you tell?"

Certo sighed and hung his head shifting the pebbles beneath his claws. "I've been around enough to know pity when I see it." He looked up at Amp with an almost sad expression. "I can see it in your eyes too." Amp jolted slightly. "You consider me a threat for what reason I don't know. And your sister seems to be terrified of me beyond description."

"My sister?" Amp cocked his head curiously trying to figure out what the black dragon was talking about.

"The grey dragoness. She's your sister isn't she?"

Amp nearly slapped himself in the face. "Oh, Terra? No! No! She's not my sister! She's my fiance and future life mate."

Certo's eye grew wide. "Oh, sorry then. I didn't mean to... I just thought. You know, that ice guardian was her father obviously and the younger one was... well..."

Amp laughed out loud and nearly fell over. "That's really funny! I never thought of it that way." Certo only looked at him blankly, but after a moment he too cracked a faint hint of a smile.

After Amp had regained his composure both males sighed and sat in silence for several minutes. Certo glanced over at Amp and looked the young dragon over. He was in good shape and healthy looking for his age, though Certo had never seen a yellow dragon before in his life, let alone the other dragon he was seeing in the city.

"Excuse me for asking, but aren't you a little young to be thinking about mating?"

Amp's cheeks burned deep crimson in the fading light of the evening. "Well... I um... we... haven't really discussed... uh, mating... we have an arranged bond."

Certo's facial expression hardened. "So it's a bond not formed from love."

"Oh no," Amp shook his head. "We love each other very much. We've been together since the day we both hatched. We've just been at each other's sides ever since and never really wanted to be with anyone else."

Certo only stared blankly at the young dragon before nodding in a way that Amp perceived as being polite in the black dragon's eyes. Another moment of silence passed as the males watched the sun set over the horizon. Amp was starting to get a bit anxious knowing that as darkness fell Terra would begin to worry about him. Certo didn't realize the way the lightning dragon's quills twitched in anticipation and the low hum of an electric charge buzzed around their tips.

A sudden splash grabbed both dragons attention in the pond behind them. Certo whirled around and snarled menacingly surprising Amp who nearly fell over on his back. When he heard the splash again, he realized what had disturbed the silence.

"It's all right." Amp chuckled walking over to the pond's edge and looking into the dark water. "It's just feeding time for the koi. They like to eat the night bugs that come to rest on the water's surface."

Certo narrowed his eye and peered deeper into the pond. The moon was rising over the land and the light reflected off a large, white, scaly body beneath the water's surface. The koi fish kissed the surface of the water looking for its dinner as it slowly drew closer to the two dragons moving in a graceful sweeping path. Amp watched as Certo lowered his head towards the water's surface and sniffed the fish as it drew closer. When the koi had swam up to the black dragon's snout, Certo felt the creature's lips smack against his snout and he cringed. The motioned startled the koi and it dove back into the deeper areas of the pond with a powerful flick of its tail. Certo jerked his head back as the water splashed him across the face.

"Are you okay?" Amp asked leaning forward to see if the black dragon was in any sort of discomfort.

Certo wiped the water from his face. The sudden moisture dissolved the sap that held the bandage leaves to his skin and one by one they pealed off before landing silently on the water's surface. Amp watched as Certo looked himself over in the moonlight. His wounds were mostly closed with the exception of his chest and the scar across his right eye. The black dragon stared at his reflection and tilted his head curiously before leaning in for a closer look.

"Something the matter?" Amp raised a brow suspiciously. Certo was certainly taking his sweet time about inspecting himself.

"It's different," he replied in almost a mumble too low to hear.

"What are you talking about? What's different?"

"My eye. It was never that color before." Certo turned his head to face the yellow dragon and Amp had to refrain from gasping in surprise. The black dragon's scarred eye was still in tact, much to Amp's astonishment; but what caught his attention was the color it displayed in the darkness of the night. Certo's iris was deep crimson and seemed to almost glow with energy.

"Oh," was all Amp managed to mutter.

Thundra lay a sleeping Maya down on her bedroom pillow and kissed her forehead. The little dragoness cooed in her sleep and curled into a ball around herself. Her mother smiled and stared at her for a long time before finally leaving her to sleep peacefully. She walked down to Terra's room and poked her head inside. Her daughter lay awake on her pillow cushion with a look of worry on her face. Outside on the balcony, Crona lay awake but with her back to the doorway.

"How are you two doing?" Thundra whispered trying not to disturb the white dragoness too much.

"I'm worried about Amp." Terra whimpered. "He's been gone for hours. You think he and Daddy are still busy at the temple?"

"I don't know dearie." Thundra sighed and walked over to her before sitting down. "Your father is trying to work things out with the other guardians for the better of all us dragons."

"I hope he does." Terra sniffled slightly. "I want my Ampy back."

Out on the balcony Crona raised a brow when she heard the dragoness's tone of voice. It sounded almost child-like to her but Terra was still very much a child herself. She had not grown up the same way Crona had so it was only obvious she would have the naive sensibility of an adolescent dragon.

"I'm sure Amp is fine." Thundra kissed her on the cheek. "When he comes home you'll see that you were worrying over nothing."

Just then they heard the sound of footsteps in the opposite room.

"Ampy?" Terra jumped to her feet and dashed down the hall towards the main chamber of the pavilion. She came to a sliding halt when she nearly bumped into Certo. The male looked down at her and Terra immediately noticed the deep scars that covered his body from head to toe. The sight of them gave the black dragon an almost corpse-like appearance. Certo noticed the look in the grey dragoness's eyes and sighed. He rolled his eyes and turned towards another doorway that lead to a higher balcony just outside the main chamber.

"Hey there beautiful." Amp chirped walking up and giving her a loving kiss on the cheek. Terra was surprised by the gesture and pulled away with a giggle. She looked him in the eyes and smiled lovingly at him.

"Ampy!" She reared up on her hind legs and threw her front paws around his neck, knocking her mate to the floor.

"Wow, someone missed me." Amp chuckled after being smothered with kisses on his face.

"You have no idea." Terra thought to herself. She turned back towards her room as her mother emerged into the hallway. "Come on, I've been waiting for you to come home so we can sleep together."

"Um, okay." Amp nearly choked as his dragoness wrapped her tail around his neck and pulled him along at a hurried pace.

"Good night you two." Thundra whispered as they passed by.

"Good night mom." Terra replied without looking up. Amp just gave her a goofy grin as he was yanked into her room. Thundra only shook her head and smiled to herself as she walked out into the main chamber to look for Certo. She found the black dragon standing out on the balcony and looking across the dark horizon.

"Don't stay up too late now," she warned in a motherly tone. "You don't want to be too tired in the morning."

Certo only sighed as he stared at the stars. "Thank you," he muttered before glancing over his shoulder. "For everything."

Thundra smiled at him and bobbed her head politely. "You are quite welcome." She gave a slight bow, which surprised Certo having never seen such a gesture before, then turned back to her own chamber down the hall.

Back in her room, Terra nestled close to Amp, almost nuzzling him off their pillow cushion.

"Terra, are you okay? You're behaving really affectionately right now."

"I missed you," the ice dragoness retorted. "I didn't know where you were and to be out at such a late hour."

Amp's wings drooped sadly. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to worry you. Your dad just asked me to... um... show Certo around the city."

"My father did?" Terra's brows jumped in surprise. She had not expected her father to be the one to suggest such a thing especially of her future life mate.

Amp nodded in response. "Well are you okay at least?" Terra began to look him over in the dim candlelight for any signs of scratches or bruises against his clean, yellow hide.

"I'm perfectly fine actually." Amp shook his head.

"He didn't try to hurt you or anything?"

"No, not at all." Amp looked over at Crona who was still pretending to be asleep on the balcony with a warm blanket draped over her. "In fact... you can call me crazy for this... but I think we may have Certo figured wrong."

"What?" Terra raised her head to look her mate square in the eye as he turned back to her.

"I know what you're thinking," Amp started, pulling her close with a wing. "But when I was talking with him, I genuinely got the feeling that he's not... well... you know... he's decent. He's got a heart. And feelings."

"Are you suggesting that he's not what we've been expecting?" Amp nodded. "Amp, don't you see that he could be leading us into a trap with that?" She was doing her best to keep her voice down without alerting the rest of the household to their private conversation.

"Terra listen to me," Amp whispered, bringing his face closer to hers. "Don't think that for one second I will ever leave your side. Because there's no dragon or force in this world that could ever make me do such a thing. But I really think that Certo isn't what the council makes him out to be."

Terra squinted at him as a gentle breeze blew through the room. "What are you saying Amp?"

"I'm saying that I know what Sin's prophecy says. But what if he's wrong?"

"Has Sin ever been wrong before?"

Amp paused to scratch his chin in deep thought. "No, I suppose he hasn't," he replied after a moment of silence. "But remember, he's a dragon too. He can be prone to mistakes as well."

"Then wouldn't that make his credibility questionable amongst the other council members?" Terra asked in a slightly annoyed tone.

"But even you saw how he was treating Certo today. He was in favor of having him stay and not out of fear. Maybe he knows something about Certo that the rest of us don't?"

Terra had to stop and think about that. She had been surprised, as well as the other guardians, when the oracle had suggested allowing Certo to stay within their city.

Amp noticed the way his mate's brow furrowed and he kissed her forehead to relieve her thinking. "I'm not asking you to change your mind on him Terra. But I really believe that Sin may be acting this way because Certo may not be the one from his prophecy."

"You mean that there are other black dragons out there," Terra surmised.

"Yes, exactly. He may be a black dragon but I'd be willing to bet my rank as guardian that he's not the only one or the last that we see."

"Hm," Terra nodded respectfully and lay down beside her mate to try and sleep. Amp draped his wing over her back before kissing her forehead.

"Sweet dreams," he whispered and closed his eyes.

"You too," Terra murmured, trying to be calm about his suggestion. However the idea of more black dragons being out there frightened her even more than the single one just a couple rooms away.

Out on the balcony Crona closed her eyes. She had been listening keenly to the two younger dragons as they talked and now found herself deeply confused about the situation. But even more importantly, her curiosity had been sparked.

"Guess I'll start my research in the morning." She thought to herself as she drifted off for another night's sleep.


	9. Chapter 9

"Come on Certo."

The five year-old black dragon perked up from his basking spot on top of a rock beside his family's cave. Certo smiled at his older sister and bounded off the rock and skidded to a halt in front of her.

"Mom and Dad say it's time we start teaching you to hunt on your own." The black dragoness was in her late adolescence in her stages of development. Her body was long and slender, longer than most female dragons. Her head was surrounded by four long horns with one smaller adult horn protruding from each of her cheeks. Her eyes were just as blue as Certo's and twice as fierce. She lacked the spiny fin her younger brother had over his hips along his spine but she was okay with that. She had always viewed Certo as her favorite sibling out of a family clutch of five total offspring. She nuzzled her brother affectionately and he giggled excitedly and licked her snout.

"I'm ready to go Star." He chirped excitedly.

"Alright then. Let's go." The black dragoness smiled. She hoped that one day when she found a mate that her own offspring looked as good as Certo did.

"Oh wait, we almost forgot Neros!" Certo stopped and turned to run back into the cave.

"Certo wait," Star called but her little brother had already disappeared out of ear shot. A couple minutes later he came trotting outside with a big smile on his face. Star's enthusiastic smile had disappeared as she waited for her other brother to emerge from the cave. Certo looked back with an eager smile on his face as the small white dragon stepped into the light. The albino black dragon looked exactly like his twin brother with the obvious exception being his coloration. Neros' skin was nearly pink when he and Certo had hatched together but now displayed the light pale yellow coloration from being in the sun whenever Certo was able to convince his family to let him come outside. Certo's family had always been troubled by the fact that Neros' ruby-red eyes made him extremely sensitive to sunlight.

Neros cringed as he emerged into the sunlight. He closed his eyes and shielded his head with a wing before opening them again.

Certo walked over to his twin and extended his wings over Neros' head. "Are you okay?" He asked knowing how sensitive his brother's eyes were to light in general.

"I'm fine." Neros answered softly. "Are you sure it's okay if I come along?"

"Absolutely." Certo nodded looking back at Star. "Can't Neros come? Please? He never gets to come out anyways."

"Yes he does Certo." Star retorted. "You say that every single time one of us takes you out to train you."

Certo hung his head and jutted his lower lip out. "But Neros needs to learn too." He whimpered in his most pathetic-sounding voice. "But no one is ever up at night to take him out when he can see."

"Certo, don't worry about it." Neros placed a paw in his brother's shoulder. "I'll just learn on my own one day." He looked up at his sister who only insisted on keeping her eyes averted from the sight of him.

"Please!" Certo whined pushing his voice to the verge of a temper tantrum.

"Alright alright alright." Star sighed rolling her eyes.

"Yay!" Certo gave an excited jump and reared up on his hind legs to lick his sister's chin. "I love you!"

"Yeah yeah yeah." Star sighed and stroke Certo's crest on top of his head before giving him a kiss on his snout. "You're lucky I love you so much. I spoil you rotten."

Certo only giggled, knowing that he could get his sister to do just about anything for him. Star gave Neros a quick glance as if to deliver a silent message but the white dragon knew exactly what his sister was saying. Neros sighed and followed after his brother as the three of them spread their wings and took flight.

Certo and Neros had both learned to fly the year before when the family was still willing to venture out at night and teach Neros what he needed. But as recent seasons came around the family was growing more and more tired with having to teach Certo during the day and Neros at night. Eventually it had grown to be that no one wanted to leave the cave at night anymore leaving Neros to sit in the cave most of the time in his chamber and wait for Certo to return from his lessons.

Star led the two dragons up the side of the mountain and over the dense trees far below on the other side that made it impossible for any dragon to take flight below the canopy of the trees.

As they flew along Certo glanced over at his brother who was doing a considerable job with keeping up.

"Hey," he whispered as he flew up over his brother's head to speak in private. "Have you been sneaking out again to go flying?"

Neros looked up at him with a mischievous grin. He knew his brother was purposely covering him from the stinging sunlight for which he was grateful for. "You know that I have to stay in practice somehow. I can't stand being cooped up inside that cave all the time."

Certo frowned. "I wish you didn't have to be so sensitive to light. Then you could come out with us more often rather than sneaking out all the time."

"I hate it too." Certo growled. "I hate how everyone doesn't take the time to help me any more."

"Don't worry too much about it." Certo gave his brother a friendly bump on the head with his snout. "I'm sure it may only be temporary. Remember when you couldn't go out into the sun at all?"

"Don't remind me." Neros rolled his eyes. "It seemed like every time I stepped outside my scales would break out with blisters."

"But you got over that." Certo pointed out. "You'll do the same with your eye sight."

"I sure hope so." Neros sighed as he stared at his older sister's hindquarters. "I sure hope so."

Certo jolted awake on the balcony. He sat for several minutes panting heavily and massaging his forehead with the pads on his paw.

Meanwhile, just outside Terra's room,Crona was starting to stir. The sun warmed her awake and she rose with a loud yawn catching Certo's attention from the adjacent balcony and rousing Terra and Amp inside.

"Morning," Amp murmured sleepily.

"Good morning," Crona greeted the couple as she walked back inside, carrying her borrowed blanket on her back. "You two sleep well?"

"Always when Ampy is by my side." Terra leaned over and kissed his snout causing the yellow dragon to blush. Even watching her made Crona blush slightly but quickly removed those thoughts from her mind. "So what's on your agenda for today?" Terra asked sweetly looking up at the older white dragoness.

Crona only shook her head. "I just plan on doing some research at the library."

"How do you do it so much?" Amp asked as he rubbed the sleep out of his eyes. "I barely stay awake in class through the history lessons yet you willingly go to the library and read all day long."

"Maybe that's just what she likes to do." Terra scolded her mate with an elbow in the side. Amp squeaked and looked ashamed of himself.

"It's alright." Crona assured them as she waved her paw dismissively. "I've never really been into what other dragons my age have been interested in. So I usually find myself reading most of the time or practicing ma-" She suddenly cut herself off and let her mouth hang open.

"Practice what?" Terra raised a brow curiously while Amp tiled his head inquisitively.

"Nothing," Crona shook her head. "What are you two planning today?"

"I haven't fully decided." Amp started before Terra could speak. "But I was going to suggest that Terra show Certo around the city a little more. You know, get to know him a little and have him get a feel for our home." Terra looked at Amp in stupefied silence.

"Somehow I think he would be less than interested." Crona pointed out.

"I know it's a possibility," Amp nodded. "But I think we should at least try to make him comfortable and even possibly become friends."

"I don't think Certo wants to be friends." Terra snapped trying to keep her voice low so as not to wake the rest of the house. "He's a wild dragon who knows nothing of our society or our rules. That's what the elders have always told us and lately I've started to believe them."

Crona narrowed her eyes at Terra. "I would be the first to say don't always be so quick to believe everything you hear. That idiot of a black dragon may not have grown up the same way you did but I'm sure he has the potential to be decent." Then Crona rolled her eyes. "Though I suppose I shouldn't hold my breath. He does act like a total stuck up jerk."

Terra stared at her paws and shifted them nervously as she usually did when she was worried about something.

Amp leaned in towards his dragoness and lowered his voice as well. "Terra, this may be the chance you get to change everything. I don't like seeing you scared but if this means we can... you know...then I say go for it."

"What are you two talking about?" Crona asked, slightly annoyed at being left out of their conversation all of a sudden.

"I-it's nothing." Terra stammered. "Don't worry about it."

Crona curled her lip in irritation but Amp and Terra failed to notice.

The grey dragoness fixed her mate with a stern look, her neon-green eyes staring deep into his yellow and violet orbs. Amp normally would have conceded seeing this look from her.; it was the one she gave when she was bent on not going through with something. But the lightning dragon's heart wouldn't let him give up so easily. He felt a spark of energy deep inside of him and he started to glow, sparks snapping occasionally around his body.

Crona watched the two of them irritated at being left without information on what was going on. At last she couldn't take the silence any more and turned with a loud guff towards the balcony. She spread her wings and took off towards the library. Certo saw the dragoness leave from his newly acquired basking spot on the roof of the pavilion. He gave a disgusted snort, causing the wind to blow and shove Crona a little off balance in the air. The dragoness paid the action no mind but still Certo snickered to himself before closing his eyes to soak up the sun.

"You're dead serious about this aren't you?" Terra's expression softened after a long quiet staring contest with the lightning dragon.

"I am," Amp nodded. "I don't know why. But I really believe that Certo isn't the one."

"Amp," Terra sighed and looked away but the yellow dragon brought her gaze back to him with his tail blade.

"I'm not going to leave your side for any reason." Amp whispered. "I care about you and your happiness more than anything else in the world. I'm only doing this to try and make you happy."

Terra's shoulders slumped; she knew her mate wanted what was best for her as did her father but sometimes the favors they asked was beyond anything she could accomplish.

Amp could see his mate was still troubled still and leaned in to pressed his lips to her forehead. "I can't force you to do anything you don't want," he sighed. "But I trust that you'll do what your heart tells you to." Terra moaned at the tingle Amp left on her forehead. It was one of the kisses he would give her when he was trying to calm her mind when worrying about something too much. "I'm going to go out to the council temple and see of there's anything going on. I'm not sure what I missed yesterday when your dad sent me off to keep Certo company."

"Be careful," Terra called after him as he ducked under the curtain to her room.

Amp paused and smiled over his shoulder. "Anything for you Terra." And with that he was gone, leaving Terra alone with her thoughts. The ice dragoness sighed letting out a cloud of frost across the floor. Her thoughts drifted to the black dragon who she remembered being out on the balcony adjacent to hers. She recalled seeing him for the first time without his bandages that previous night and how terrifying he looked to her. But perhaps it was just her imagination. Certo had not purposely done anything wrong. In fact he couldn't due to the fact he had been immobile for nearly three weeks.

Terra sighed and rubbed her forehead with the pads of her front paws. "Damn it Amp, why?" She pondered aloud but when no one answered she immediately felt foolish and lay her head back down on her paws. Her mate had sounded so determined when he continually insisted that Certo was not the dragon of prophecy. "But what if Certo isn't the only black dragon." She whispered. Then as if to answer her own question, "Then that means there's a good chance we'll meet more black dragons later on." The sudden image flashed in her mind of multiple versions of Certo all around the city. Terra shook that thought out of her head and got to her feet to pace around the room. "Damn it, I don't want to." She snapped causing an ice spike to spit from her maw accidentally. The shard stuck straight up in the middle of the room and Terra cursed to herself, knowing what her parents would say when they found her room defiled.

As she pulled the spike out she found herself eyeing it in her talons. "What am I worried about? I can use my breath attacks. I can hold my own, sort of. If Certo were to try something I could always stop him on my own, or at least until Amp comes to rescue me." Terra looked up and tossed the spike out over the railing of the balcony. "What the heck, I'll give it a try." Then an evil grin spread across her mouth. "It's not like I can't take care of myself." That last comment was more for steadying her own nerves.

Feeling somewhat bolder, Terra marched out of her room and towards the central chamber of her family's pavilion. She looked over towards the balcony but saw no sign of Certo. The sudden confidence began to dwindle as her mind began to wonder where the black dragon had disappeared too. The ice dragoness cautiously made her way out onto the balcony and looked around the cityscape before her. There was no sign of the dragon in the air and Terra's view of the streets was limited. She was about to turn away when she heard a low sigh and a gust of wind chilled the back of her neck. Terra whirled around expecting to see that Certo had snuck up behind her but found no one there.

"Ahem," the sudden voice caused Terra to jump and her eyes snapped up to the roof. Certo sat on top of the roof, staring at her with his paws patiently crossed. "I'm guessing you were looking for me?" He asked plainly.

"I, uh..." Terra stammered before getting control of her nerves again. "Y-yes. Yes I was." When Certo didn't say anything Terra began to feel her confidence slipping more and more. "Well, um... anyways. I was wondering if you were doing anything today."

"Like what?"

"Well, I wasn't sure so I thought I'd ask." Terra was doing her best to appear confident before the older male. If she didn't ask him soon she would lose her nerve completely. "If you weren't busy, I was hoping you'd be willing to join me for the day on a tour of the city."

Certo stared at her silently, his bad eye seemed to shine like a precious red gem in the sunlight. Looking at it, Terra felt a pinch of fear deep down in her heart. "Well I suppose that all depends." Certo sighed after he felt the tension start to eat away at the grey dragoness. "What would your reasoning be for wanting to spend a whole day with me?"

Terra raised an eye brow. "What do you mean?"

Certo sat up on his hind legs and stared harder at her. "Are you doing this out of the goodness of your heart?" He narrowed his eyes at her and lowered his voice. "Or is it because you feel pity for me and feel that I need someone to be there for me should I get lost?"

"N-no that's not it at all." Terra squeaked, the fear in her heart steadily increasing. "I just wanted to know if you wanted to spend some time with me today because, well, we didn't really get off to a good start. I figured we should start over and... you know, try and become friends."

Certo rose up on all fours and craned his neck down towards Terra. The dragoness noticed the way his scars caught the rays of sun and how battered they made him look. "Not if you're being put up to it by someone else," he answered with a subtle growl.

Terra stood frozen before him. She could not understand how he could be reading into her thoughts so clearly. Her brilliant green eyes locked onto his single crimson iris that seemed to be staring right through her.

Certo nodded with a disgusted frown. "That's what I thought."

"No, Certo, that's not what I meant!" Terra cried but the black dragon would hear no more of her excuses. He spread his long wings and lurched off the rooftop, sending a gust of wind carrying him out towards the city limits. "Wait!" Terra called after him, but Certo was already out of earshot. In a matter of seconds he had flown over the city walls and vanished into the enchanted forest beyond, heading towards Avalar.

Terra gasped in shock and fell back on her haunches in dismay. "What have I done?" She whispered to herself, choking back a sob. She collapsed onto her belly and began to cry hysterically. "Ampy!"

Crona closed the book she was reading. She had been spending the past couple hours looking through the dragon history texts studying everything she possibly could on dragon relations with the rest of the world.

"Damn it," she cursed as she got up with an air of frustration. "There has to be some sort of clue here. Something that gives me an idea to work off of."

"Studying hard I see."

Crona's head snapped around and her wings burst open with the expectation of a fight.

Cryus backed up a couple steps and tucked his wings closer to his sides. The blue dragon could immediately tell he had tread on sensitive ground. "Whoa, hey. Sorry, I didn't mean to upset you."

Crona narrowed her eyes at the young guardian and scowled. "Upset wouldn't begin to describe how I am right now. Now if you'll excuse me, I have work to do." She turned back and struggled to pick the book up like she had seen other larger dragons do.

"Here, let me help you with that." Cryus moved to help hoist the large book off the floor but Crona placed herself in front of him.

"I don't need anyone's help, thank you." Cryus backed off, looking a little hurt. Crona realized she was being cruel without reason and gave an exasperated sigh. "I appreciate the offer though."

"Yeah, sure. Any time." Cryus smiled. "If you need anything at all, you can come to me for help."

"I'll keep that in mind." Crona rolled her eyes sarcastically.

Cryus smirked. "I hope you do too." He gave a slight bow and turned to walk away. Crona waited until he was gone and no one else was watching before waving her paw in the air. The book rose off the floor in response and the world froze in time. Crona crept down the isles to where she had found the book from. She found the spot she was looking for and raised the book up to the fourth shelf over her head. Once the book was set she released her hold on time and began to look around for her next manuscript.

"I know what you're trying to do Crona." The white dragoness sighed and suppressed the growl in her throat.

"Do you guardians always insist on giving me trouble..." Her voice trailed off as she turned her head. Standing at the end of the isle was the oracle dragon, Sin. The white dragon wore a disinterested look on his face as the two of them locked eyes. "Oh it's you now."

Sin bobbed his head slightly. "I wouldn't worry about Cryus too much. He means well."

"Meaning well and being of use are two different things." Crona narrowed her fierce blue eyes at him.

"True. Very true." Sin nodded as he walked towards her. Crona noticed that he was much shorter than she was. He was barely even Maya's size yet she could sense the wisdom of ages surrounding him. Sin stopped when he was just about nose to nose with Crona making the dragoness feel extremely uncomfortable. "But there are things about this world that not every dragon can understand. As I'm sure you well know."

"Who are you?" Crona demanded making sure to keep her voice low.

Sin shrugged. "You already know me by my name and title. I am exactly that. An oracle and advisor to the council and guardians."

"Oh you're more than just that." Crona hissed stepped to the side, placing her flank towards him. "I've been around and through enough to know a normal dragon when I see one."

A grin spread across the white dragon's mouth and he sat down on his haunches. "You are just as keen as the whispers say. Tell me, what do you think I am?"

Crona's brows jumped slightly but a superior smirk spread across her face. "Well for one, I know you're no ordinary dragon. You have no wings but that may be just a birth defect. Your scales are as white as mine but I'm curious what color shell your egg was when you hatched." Sin was about to answer when Crona lifted a paw silencing him. "Judging by your features, I'd say it was either blue or green. You don't carry the muscular body of an earth dragon so my guess is you were meant to be an ice dragon. But you have no breath attacks of any sort. Your active power seems to be able to predict the future, hence making you the oracle and immediate advisor to the guardians." Crona's eyes narrowed. "Though that doesn't explain how you weren't affected by my time control ability during the meeting yesterday."

"Ah yes, that." Sin scratched his head and blushed slightly. "You see, not only can I see the future but I hear the voices of those past through time say about the world and others around them. And seeing as how you and I are one in the same, I have been able to listen to what has been said about you throughout the ages. And it has been nothing but good things."

"Oh really?" Crona tilted her head sideways to glance at the oracle questioningly. "So you're saying that you also saw my coming to this time period. Over a thousand years from my home time." She paused for a moment to think over her words but shook her head. "You know what I mean. That is if you really say that we are the same."

Sin nodded. "I do. And I did."

"So why didn't you speak up when I was trying to convince the council?" Crona snapped in a sudden outburst.

Sin raised a paw to quiet her down before she attracted unwanted attention. "I've heard what you've experienced Crona. I've heard and seen what the war has done to the world. I know what is to come."

"So why won't you help me stop it?"

"Because I'm not meant to."

"What?"

"The role of the oracle is to guide the world into balance." Sin replied getting to his feet and walking over to Crona. "It's my job to advise, not take action upon those who live in this world. You know how free will works. You can lead a hatchling to water but you can't make them drink." Crona curled her lip at his attempt at being humorous.

"Well can't you advise the guardians to listen to what I'm saying? If you can see into the future then you should be able to see what is coming!"

"I do know about the war with the apes Crona. But in the grand scheme of things it's best to go through with it, despite the many losses that will occur."

Crona's temper suddenly burst out of control. The world came to a sudden halt and the blue mist manifested all around the white dragons. Sin shrank back in fear looking around in wide-eyed terror. Crona's eyes became as white as her scales as the energy massed around her in a crackling of lightning, fire, wind and ice. "How can you say that!" She roared, not holding back any longer. "I lose my mother and my best friend and that's just me! Think of how many others will go through the same pain that I've endured for my whole life!"

"Crona calm down," Sin coaxed softly. The dragoness only relaxed about three scales. "If you'll let me explain it may be clearer to you why I don't intend on doing anything about the situation with the apes." Crona narrowed her eyes at him, icy energy billowing from her white orbs. Sin swallowed hard as he prepared to continue his explanation. "You have spoken to the guardians twice already. And being the smart dragoness you are I can tell you do not think very highly of them. Quite frankly I would be inclined to agree with your view of them. They are all good spirits but they are far too arrogant and self-centered to provide dragon-kind with any long lasting prosperity. If I were to help you stop this war and they see that in fact you were right about it, then they will continue to believe that we dragons are the be all and end all of any conflict in the world.

"So you're saying that they will begin to hold themselves above all others in this world and consider anyone who isn't draconic inferior."

"Precisely," Sin nodded.

"Just like Malefor," the dragoness whispered as she envisioned thousands of dark dragons massing in a cloud of wings over the world. Crona lowered her gaze to the floor and her eyes returned to normal. The flow of magic around her diminished and time resumed its course. Crona felt numb all over. She thought that by being in the past she could change the course of history and save her family and thousands of dragons but the oracle's explanation had left her without a shred of hope.

Sin sighed and walked over to her and looked her in the eye. "I'm sorry to be the bearer of bad news Crona. I can't say that I know the level of pain you've suffered. But things happen for a reason. It's all about balance in our world." Crona remained silent before him, staring at her talons in defeat. Sin felt a pang of guilt in his heart as he walked past her. At the end of the book isle he stopped and paused to think for a moment. He turned back over his shoulder at the white dragoness whose wings were draped to the floor.

"You know Crona," he started hoping to grab her attention; she didn't move. "You're a smart dragoness. You should be aware of the events surrounding Certo."

"Why should I even worry about him?" Crona sniffled trying to hold back her tears. "I can't even take care of my own family, let alone a complete stranger."

"Because depending on what you do, may determine how your home will look when you return to your own time." A smile spread across Sin's lips. "Who knows, you may even do more good for dragon kind than you think." Crona lifted her head and turned around to see Sin had vanished. She paused to stare blankly at the end of the isle before swallowing her courage and let out a deep sigh.

Sin continued to smile to himself as strolled out of the library. "Good luck young dragoness." He thought to himself. "You're going to need it if you wish to save both your futures."

Terra trudged through the streets with her head hung low and tail dragging along the ground. She had been walking along blindly for hours without any intended destination. Her thoughts were clouded with the memory of Certo earlier that morning.

"Not if you're being put up to it by someone else." She muttered to herself, repeating the stabbing words Certo had hit her with. For a wild dragon he was certainly perceptive.

"Terra!" The grey dragoness stopped and raised her head to see Amp bounding over to her. He was excited to see her but Terra only burst into tears and buried her face in his chest.

"Ampy!" She sobbed shaking her head. "I failed you. I failed myself. I failed everyone! I'm a failure!"

"Whoa! Hey now! What's all this about?" Then Amp's quills stood on end. "Wait, did something happen with Certo?" Terra nodded, her head still against his chest. "Oh Terra, I'm so sorry. I should have been there to protect you."

"It's not like that." Terra shook her head. "He did nothing to me."

"He didn't?" Amp stepped back and allowed himself to look her in the eye. "Then what happened?" Terra only continued cry softly. Amp sighed and walked over to her, draping his wing over her back. "Come on. Let's walk together. It may help you settle down."

It took a little while before Terra was relaxed enough to stop crying. When she wiped the tears from her eyes, she went on to tell about how long it had taken her to finally go out and talk to Certo. "I found him sitting on the roof and asked if he wanted to go tour the city with me."

"And he rejected your offer?"

Terra nodded. "But that's not the important issue. It's why he rejected my offer."

"Which is," Amp coaxed hoping she wouldn't keep the secret hidden.

"He seemed to know that I was only doing it because you asked me to. Not because I wanted to."

"I see," Amp bobbed his head slightly. He was beginning to understand Certo a little more with this new information. "Well, Certo also seems to think that the council looks down on him as inferior."

"But they do." Terra pointed out, sniffling loudly.

"I know." Amp continued. "I feel bad about going along with it. But I think Certo may be the kind of dragon we have to be straight forward with. He seems to be very good at reading into other dragon's emotions and actions."

Terra paused and thought about that. A chill ran down her spine when she remembered that crimson eye staring right at her, as if it could look into her thoughts. "You don't suppose it has anything to do with that bad eye of his do you?"

"The one with the scar over it?" Terra nodded and Amp paused to think for a moment. "I don't think so." He shook his head. "I don't think I've ever heard of any dragons having telepathic abilities."

"But Sin can see into the future." Terra protested. "You can't tell me that's not some sort of telepathy."

"I'm not denying that it isn't. But Certo, I'm not so sure. When he talked about the guardians... He seemed to be speaking out of personal experience rather than tapping into some sort of mental power."

"How could you tell?" Terra raised a skeptical eye brow.

Amp shrugged. "It's almost like he's lived through a great tragedy. He acts like he knows what others are thinking because he's experienced similar situations before."

"I suppose that's possible." Terra nodded. "I wonder what he could have experienced to make him so keen on such a thing."

"I somehow get the feeling that he's not ready to tell anyone." Amp replied darkly.

"By the way he was acting at the meeting?"

"And that," Amp pointed a claw and Terra followed its direction. The two had come to the upper levels of the city towards the guardian's pavilions and gardens. Neither had realized that they were on the edge of the gardens where Amp had shown Certo the koi pond the previous evening. Across the lush lawns and flower beds sat Certo, staring sadly into the dim water of the koi pond.

"Certo, he's back." Terra gasped in almost a whisper. "I thought he had flown away or gone home or something along those lines."

Amp was silent for a moment as they watched the black dragon sitting silently like a black, scarred, scaly statue. "I don't think he has anywhere to go, even if he wanted to." Amp felt a genuinely sorry for the older dragon and Terra seemed to feel the emotion as well.

"Maybe I should go talk to him. Try and make things right." Terra took a step forward but Amp grabbed her paw in his.

"Do you want me there for support?"

Terra smiled warmly at him. "I'll be alright. I know that you'll be supporting me either way."

Amp normally would have been hurt by her response but the strength had returned to his mate's eyes. She seemed to glow with a new air of confidence and determination as she calmly walked into the gardens.

Certo sensed the chill from the ice dragoness in the air and broke his concentration from the koi swimming around in circles before him. Terra walked closer until she was standing only a couple yards from Certo.

"Mind if I sit down with you?" She asked somewhat timidly. The red eye blinked and looked at her before turning back to the koi pond. Terra took the hint that Certo did not care and moved closer until she was sitting right next to him. For several minutes she sat quietly watching the koi fish with him as she searched for the right words to say.

"I'm guessing this is where Amp took you yesterday when you two were out and about?" Certo gave a slight bob of his head but said nothing. Terra paused and looked around the gardens. She rarely spent any time here at all. When she was a hatchling she used to love to play here with Amp before his parents had passed away. "I haven't been here in years." She pointed out. "I had forgotten how much beauty there is still here."

"And I'm guessing that I put a taint on it." Certo suddenly growled.

Terra looked back at him and shook her head. "That's not true."

"Isn't it?" Certo turned his head and locked his eyes with hers. Terra felt her heart pound against her chest wall. After the initial shock she shook her head again to get her nerves under control.

"I don't believe so."

Certo narrowed his eyes at her as he studied her expression. Terra felt herself settle down when the black dragon sighed and turned away from her. "Why the sudden change?"

Terra sighed internally, relieved that he believed that she was being sincere. "Well... I thought about it for a long time." Terra began to fidget with her front paws nervously. "And, I don't think that I was being very fair to you. And I came to apologize. I'm sorry."

Certo only sat silently for a long time. The silence caused the tension in Terra's body to build up to the point where it was nearly tormenting her.

"I'm guessing by your silence that you're still mad at me." Terra felt a lump swell up in her throat.

Certo shook his head. "I don't know what I am. I was mad before and I want to be now but at the same time I don't want to be." He groaned as if in pain and clutched at his face, placing his paw over his bad eye. "I... I... I can't forgive you for earlier... what's done can't be undone... no matter how hard we wish it could be." The pain in his voice seemed to stab Terra in her heart. She was finally beginning to understand what Amp had said earlier. The grey dragoness leaned closer and stroked his back with the tip of her wing. Certo jolted from the contact and a sudden gust of wind blew through the gardens.

"Sorry," Terra apologized again scooting away from him. "Was I overstepping my boundaries?"

Certo ignored her question and continued to clutch at his throbbing head. "Why are all of you so afraid of me?" He groaned, a growl resonating in his throat. "What could I have possibly done to get so many of you terrified of me everyone thinking that I need to be pitied all the time for being so-called inferior to you?"

Terra's muscles contracted tightly and she bit her tongue. She wanted to tell Certo everything that had been running through her head ever since he had been found at the river. There was so much he didn't now about what was going on around him and the dragoness truly wanted to tell him. "I... I'm sorry Certo. I know that all this change must be a bit overwhelming for you. But... I don't think I'm ready to talk about that subject just yet." The black dragon turned to look into her green eyes and she forced a slight smile. "I know it's not fair, but I'll do my best to treat you like a fellow dragon, rather than an outsider like so many others will. Because I know you're not ready to share your past with us yet either."

Certo's mouth opened to speak but he stopped before he could say anything. Terra smiled when she saw that he understood where she was coming from. She too had a history that she would have been happy to forget but was unable to change the past.

"You don't have to tell me anything." Certo sighed and hung his head. "Because I'd much rather forget my own past."

"I understand." Terra reached up with a paw and stroked his cheek, her talons brushing delicately over the horns that protruded from his cheek bone.

Certo sighed again and turned away. "You should go. I don't want your mate to worry about you too much."

Terra was surprised by his words but leaned in to bump his snout with hers. "Amp will be fine. But it's sweet of you to be concerned about him." Certo felt his heart beat faster but he retained composure. "Don't stay out too long." Terra said as she got up to leave. "I don't want you catching a cold out here." With that said, she spread her wings and soared out of the gardens towards home. As Certo watched her go he reached up to touch the cheek she had stroked. After a moment he squeezed his eyes shut as if trying to withstand a great amount internal pain. The black dragon turned and snorted loudly. The water's surface splashed loudly and the koi darted away to the far end where they took shelter beneath the lilies.

Another hour passed in silence for Certo as he lay beside the koi pond. The water's surface steadily calmed down as the sun began to set over the city. The nighttime bugs began to buzz and the koi came out again to catch their evening dinner. The black dragon watched them for a little while before getting to his feet and flying back towards Terra's home. As he grew closer he could see other dragons from the city all heading to their own pavilions for the night. Several looked up at him at he glided overhead and made snide remarks to themselves or the companions they were walking with. Certo curled his lip but did nothing else to entice further remarks from them.

At last he came to land on the balcony outside the main chamber of Terra's home. Inside it was quiet. Nitrus had not yet returned from the temple and Thundra was out with Maya. If Terra and Amp were there they were already asleep. Crona was not out on her balcony as she usually was but Certo could have cared less about the white dragoness. As he hopped off the railing he stepped on a piece of paper and jumped when it crinkled beneath his paws. Certo looked down at the sheet with a curious look on his face. On it was a message inscribed in ink. The characters were made by claw marks used by dragons who lived beyond the realms of dragon civilization. These marks were used for marking territories and Certo immediately recognized them. As he looked closer at the scratches he realized the poor spelling and bad conjugation; but the message was still clear

"Welcome home," he muttered once he had deciphered the note. He looked over at the adjacent balcony just outside of Terra's room but found no one watching him. Certo looked at the floor for a second before snatching the note up in his jaws and springing onto the roof of the pavilion. It was still warm from the sun beating down on it all day and would keep him comfortable for most of the night. He set the note down between his paws and sighed sadly as he read it again. A single tear emerged at the rim of his right eye as he lay his head down to rest.

"I hate my life," he whimpered as he began to drift off to sleep. Shortly after the sound of leathery wings could be heard as Crona came home for the night. She saw the black dragon on the roof asleep but paid him no mind. She was too mentally exhausted to care about him right now. Crona curled up on top of her blankets and was asleep in a matter of minutes.

"Great work Certo." Star praised her little brother as he hopped off the stag he had just brought down on his own. The animal was easily four times Certo's size with horns that would have torn the young dragon to shreds had he gotten within their range.

Star walked over and licked Certo lovingly on his cheek deliberately dragging her tongue along his sleek facial scales. Certo giggled and squirmed away. Star laughed and walked over to the dead stag. Certo had spotted the creature from a half mile away, proof that his sight for hunting was making improvement. After hunkering down in the underbrush the young dragon had crept up on the creature until he was only a few yards away. For such a young dragon, Certo was very skilled at sneaking up on others. Whenever he and Neros had played tag, Certo would have to be extra quiet in order to get the drop on his twin brother; but the stag was easy pickings.

Certo wiped the blood clean from his tail blade in the long grass and sat down beside his brother while Star positioned herself over the stag, preparing to transport it back to their cave.

"We just need to find you one so you can show how good you are." Certo whispered to his brother, making sure his big sister couldn't hear what they were up to.

Neros closed his eyes as Certo watched him concentrate. The wind rustled the trees and a warm breeze blew at Certo's back. "I have one." Neros muttered. "It's just north of us."

"What are you two talking about over there?" Star asked inquisitively. Certo and Neros were notorious for planning things together and most of the time they usually got into trouble with their little antics.

"Neros says he thinks there's more prey nearby." Certo replied bounding over to his big sister.

"Oh?" Star fixed Neros with her blue eyes. "And how does he know that?"

"I... uh," Neros swallowed hard and looked at his twin. Certo froze and realized what he had done. Being able to read the wind was his twin's special ability that compensated for his poor vision. Certo shot a quick glance at Star then shook his head, wanting Neros to keep his talent a secret from the rest of the family. Neros nodded subconsciously and looked back at his older sister. "I smelled it... in the wind."

"Strange," Star narrowed her eyes at the albino dragon and lifted her snout to sniff around. "I didn't smell anything."

"I believe him." Certo retorted and flicked his long tongue out several times. Neros noticed the subtle hint and squinted slightly. The wind picked up again as Star flicked her tongue out as well. The scented particles hit her tongue and her eyes widened.

"I don't believe it!" She exclaimed. "You're right. There is a doe nearby."

Certo smiled at Neros who smiled back, content with having helped with the day's hunt."

"Come on, let's go get it!" Certo chirped. "Let's go Neros."

"Wait Certo!" Star called but the black dragon had already dived into the underbrush. Star sighed and glanced at Neros off to the side. The sun was beginning to set making it even harder for Neros to see her but he could tell by her silence that she was giving him a disgusted look. She grabbed the stag by its neck in her jaws and dragged it after Certo. Neros sighed and followed close behind her.

Up ahead Certo lay crouched in the underbrush. The doe Neros had sensed was just up ahead, twenty yards out of his reach. The sound of soft footsteps reached his ears and he turned to see Neros creep up next to him, his body low to the ground as well. Behind him was Star with a slightly annoyed expression on her face.

"See, up ahead." Certo thrust his head towards their next kill.

Star eyed the doe keenly and shifted her weight to her front paws. "I'll take care of this one." She hissed. The doe's ears twitched and it perked its head up to look around. The three dragons froze and held their breath. After several minutes, the doe went back to grazing.

"Let Neros do it." Certo whispered.

"Certo," Star started to argue but the little dragon interrupted her.

"He needs the practice. Please!" He stuck out his lower lip and gave her his big, blue, sad eyes. Star fought with herself to say no but the more she looked at him the less she could resist.

"Fine." She growled and looked sharply at Neros. "But hurry up."

Neros looked at her with his jaw hung open, amazed that she had given into Certo's request.

"Hey, go on!" Certo urged giving his brother an encouraging nudge. "Now is your chance."

Neros nodded and ducked into the thick underbrush again, moving around to flank the doe. The light shining through the branches was interfering with his sight. Neros paused and closed his eyes again to concentrate.

Certo turned his head when he felt the wind begin to pick up.

"Where did this wind come from all of a sudden?" Star grumbled as she lowered herself over Certo.

"You'll see." Certo thought to himself as he eagerly awaited for his twin to make his move.

The doe looked up in alarm as the leaves started to rustle. She to seemed to sense that this wind was unnatural. Just as she was about to turn to flee in one direction she was hit with a strong familiar scent. Neros had carried the scent of the dragon around to cut off the doe's escape causing her to turn and back towards his position. The deer took a few frightened steps backwards, giving Neros the opportunity he was waiting for. At the same moment the doe turned to flee Neros lunged from his hiding place. The doe gave a frightened cry as Neros roared and outstretched his claws. The albino black dragon struck the doe in the side and dug his claws in deep.

"Yes!" Certo hissed excitedly. The deer was knocked to the ground on its back. Neros reared his head back to turn and bite down on the deer's jugular but the doe's flailing kept him from making the fatal bite. One of the deer's sharp hooves struck Neros in the side of the head, knocking him off its side and onto the hard ground. Neros's head spun but he kept his eyes shut. The wind disappeared keeping him from sensing where the deer was as she scrambled to her feet.

"Neros!" Certo shouted springing from his cover. The albino dragon opened his eyes in time to receive the full force of the doe's hind legs plunging into his gut. Certo watched in horror as his twin's rag-doll body flew threw through the air and hit the ground with a loud thud. Certo rushed over to his brother as the doe sprinted off into the forest. "Neros, are you okay? Neros!" The pale-skinned dragon coughed hard and clutched at his stomach. A cut where the deer had struck his head was beginning to bleed openly. The albino dragon's stomach was already bruised black, blue and purple and Certo found himself wanting to chase the doe down and teach her a lesson in hurting his brother.

Star walked up to the two youngsters, her gaze still on Neros. She watched as Certo helped his twin get to his feet and support him as best he could. Neros was barely hanging onto consciousness but he still managed to look up at his older sister who wore a disgusted frown on her face.

"You should have let me do it."


	10. Chapter 10

"Crona, wake up." Terra's voice echoed in the white dragoness's eardrums. "Crona, wake up. We're going to the academy today."

Crona grumbled slightly at having to be woken up before she was ready to rise. It had been years since she had last attended any sort of school teaching sessions and she had always despised waking up early every morning.

The white dragoness lifted her head and yawned loudly before smacking her lips to get rid of the foul taste that lingered in her mouth.

"Aren't you excited that you get to attend the academy with me and Amp?" Terra asked gleefully, excited that her newest friend would finally be joining her in her lessons.

Crona only blinked sleepily as she got to her feet. "I suppose so. It's still new to me so we'll see how it is after today is over."

"Oh, you'll enjoy it," Terra assured her draping a wing over her back. "Just wait until we start getting to use our breath attacks in combat class. You'll have a blast with it."

Crona froze in place, leaving Terra to stop and stare at her curiously. "Uh... our breath attacks?"

"Yeah," Terra smiled. "But we don't use our breath attacks in combat class until the next level. Right now Amp and I are both in the preparation class which is pretty boring but we need to pass it in order to get moved up in our education."

"Oh... I see," Crona muttered.

Outside, Amp was looking up to the roof trying to get a view of Certo.

"Certo? Hey, wake up! We've got academy lessons today."

The black dragon's long neck lifted up and he gazed groggily at the lightning dragon down below. "Tell me again, what's the whole point of these so-called lessons?"

Amp shrugged. "Well, for one so we can get smarter and stronger. If I'm going to be a good guardian some day I need to become more skilled with using my breath attacks and combat exercises."

Certo opened his jaws wide and yawned loudly, sending a rush of wind swirling around the pavilion. "Is that all you need to do in order to become a guardian?"

"Well, I was preselected," Amp explained as Certo slid down the shingles on the roof, before landing gracefully before him. "But you do need to either show signs of good character or be related to one of the guardians to be selected."

"I see," Certo mumbled and rolled his scarred wings to work out their stiffness. "It's a good thing it's not selected by who is the strongest. A lot more dragons would be competing for the title if that was the case."

"Yeah," Amp chuckled but then realized that Certo was making a remark about the academy's process of learning. He sighed and shook his head as he followed Certo inside the main chamber where Terra, Maya, Crona and Nitrus were all waiting. Nitrus eyed Certo as he exchanged an irritated look with Crona. The two of them had not spoken with one another from what he had seen but it was clear they did not like each another for reasons he could not explain.

"Is everyone ready?" Thundra asked, walking in with a basket cupped in the curl of her wing. In the basket were several varieties of fruits and dried meats for the young dragons before they headed out for their daily lessons.

"Ready as we'll ever be," Crona replied nervously, trying to play it off.

"Well I'm hoping you all have a great day." Thundra set the basket down so the younger dragons could take their pickings of breakfast. Amp and Terra each grabbed a mouthful of jerky meat and bunch of sour berries. Maya toddled up and began inspecting the basket's contents. "Maya, don't be picky," Thundra scolded.

While the little lightning dragoness mulled about the fruits, Crona took a large melon and small portion of meat before moving aside to let Certo have his pick. The black dragon glanced around looking at the fruits he knew before noticing Maya prodding at a particularly large melon.

"Maya, that's too much for you." Nitrus scolded.

Before anyone could say anything Certo's tail blade whipped around, slicing the melon in half. Nitrus and Thundra shot each other quick glances. Nitrus was about to speak but stopped when he saw Certo push half of the melon closer to Maya. Certo picked up his half in his mouth as the little dragoness looked up at him with wide eyes. Certo looked up at Thundra and bobbed his head to say 'thank you' and nodded once to Maya. Crona, Amp and Terra were too fixated on their own meals to notice the event that had just occurred.

Nitrus watched as Certo scarfed down his breakfast and licked the sticky juice off his muzzle and then delicately clean his tail blade.

"Come with me Certo." Thundra motioned for him to follow her. "I can help you with that." She led the black dragon to the guest room which had been emptied of medicinal herbs and supplies. In the corner of the room sat a shallow water dish. The dragoness brought the dish over to the black dragon and dipped his tail blade in the water, letting the metallic spade soak. She eyed the weapon as it shone like a gem below the surface of the water. Then very gently she lifted the black dragon's tail out of the dish and dabbed it dry with a nearby cloth. "There, all clean." She smiled warmly as Certo inspected his tail. He nodded again slightly before cracking a slight smile. Thundra nodded back and gestured for him to go join the others.

Out in the main chamber Nitrus waited patiently.

"Are we all ready to go?"

"We're ready!" Maya chirped once she saw Certo emerge from the back room.

"Very well, then let us be on our way, shall we?" He led the small procession out into the streets and towards the upper levels of the city. There the dragon academy stood towering over the other building structures. As they came within view of the main courtyard Terra noticed the nervous look in Crona's eyes.

"Crona? Are you feeling okay? You look like you're on edge for some reason."

"First day jitters," The white dragoness replied in almost a squeak. Terra rolled her eyes and fell back until she was walking next to her friend.

"Are you that nervous about using breath attacks?"

Crona looked at her with wide, alert eyes. She opened her mouth to speak but she could not find the words to speak. The ice dragoness seemed to understand what was on the white dragoness's mind and gave her a playful bump with her shoulder.

"It's okay really." Terra turned to face her. "We rarely use our breath attacks in any way at this level unless Master Kia specifically asks us to."

"Master Kia?" Crona thought back to the guardians she had met and remembered the pale green dragoness with the split tail. "Oh, her."

"She's really nice," Terra continued. "She's our aerial maneuvers instructor. Before we can go on to the combat level, we have to graduate from her 'flight academy' as she calls it."

"Sounds easy enough," Crona muttered. "Is that all it is?"

"Not entirely," Nitrus spoke up. Each level focuses on a different aspect of our culture. The early levels are mainly studies of nature as well as the world we live in. From there young dragons begin learning how to use their elemental breath attacks as well as basic, intermediate, and advanced flying maneuvers before moving on to the combat stages."

"Is combat all that remains after?" Certo asked without turning to look at the guardian.

"Of course not," Nitrus almost huffed at Certo but restrained himself. "There are many levels of combat training but there are also magic studies and political sciences as well." Certo didn't respond verbally but Amp noticed the way his face scrunched into a frown.

"You'll do fine," The younger dragon whispered. "Just stick with me and I'll make sure you get through everything with flying colors." Certo glanced at him out of the corner of his eye; the corner of his mouth twitched slightly indicating that was as much as he was willing to smile.

"Isn't there any historical aspect to the learning curriculum?" Crona asked, grabbing the ice guardian's attention. "Don't you teach about dragon and world history as well?"

"Of course." Nitrus nodded. "We teach it heavily in the first years of learning and then incorporate it into every level of education from there on out." A smile spread across his muzzle as he looked down at her. "But you'll see for yourself soon."

By now the dragons were entering the large courtyard. Crona and Certo looked around at the dozens of dragons milling about. Certo looked at them with extreme disinterest but Crona was astonished how many dragons there were attending academy sessions. When she had been going through her education, there only been a few dozen students at most.

"Wow," she gasped in wide-eyed wonder. She had not seen this many dragons gather since the inauguration of the guardian candidates at Warfang.

"It looks like we're being waited on." Nitrus thrust his head forward, grabbing the young dragon's attention. Up ahead waiting in the center of the courtyard stood three of the guardians; Kia, Tectonica and Cryus.

"Good morning, Nitrus." Kia greeted cheerfully, then turned her eyes down to the younger dragons. "I hope all is well with you?"

Maya, Amp and Terra all nodded but Crona and Certo only shrugged their wings slightly. Terra noticed and smiled at her instructor.

"First day jitters," She explained, flashing Crona a wink; the white dragoness cracking a slight smile at the subtle joke.

"Ah, I understand completely." Kia nodded. "But don't worry; you'll fit right in with my class."

"Despite the fact that both Crona and Certo are older than anyone else in the class to begin with." Amp chuckled.

"Amp!" Terra scolded, giving him a slight shove with her hips. Kia, Nitrus and Cryus all laughed but Crona noticed Tectonica fixing Certo with her dark green eyes. The black dragon could feel her staring at him but was not about to give her the dignity of looking back at her. Crona sighed and shook her head. It was then she noticed the blue dragon Cryus staring at her with a big grin on his face. Crona's head jerked back slightly and her cheeks began to burn.

"Shit!" She cursed in her mind and turned away to hide the blood flowing to her face. She tried to make a show as if she was uninterested or disgusted in a way but Cryus did not appear to phased in the slightest.

"Crona, Certo," Nitrus commanded, grabbing Crona's attention and Certo glanced back over his shoulder, his red eye staring right into the ice dragon. "Both of you try your hardest. Amp and Terra are both really excited to have you joining them so make sure you both practice and study hard in your lessons."

"Granted that's even possible for a feral dragon," Tectonica muttered under her breath. "I'd be willing to bet that they don't have the mental capability to learn anything beyond their savage ways."

Crona glared at the earth guardian but then had to roll her eyes to herself. She couldn't entirely disagree with her remark as far as Certo was concerned. "It would be a bit of an improvement of his shadowy character if there were at least some sort of intelligence behind that tomato-looking eye of his."

Certo noticed the way Crona fixed him with her sky-blue eyes but ignored her. He took his first step forward and marched towards the main building.

"Hey, wait for me!" Amp called and bounded after him.

"The rest of you better get going as well," Nitrus suggested, leaning down to kiss his little girls good luck.

"Bye, Daddy," Terra giggled as she kissed his snout. "See you tonight." The three young females all followed after Amp and Certo.

"I think they'll do just fine," Kia trilled with a confident air. "They seem like bright minds."

"With the obvious exception of the dark one," Tectonica growled.

"Mind your manners, earth guardian!" Kia hissed. "We are here to set an example not to judge."

"Well maybe we should," Tectonica snorted in Kia's face and lumbered off to teach her class. The air dragoness curled her lip and was about to go after her when Nitrus placed a paw on her shoulder.

"It's okay, I'm sure she's still annoyed by the council's decision to let Certo stay within our city and even more so that he's being allowed to attend this academy. She'll get over it."

"But you were strongly against the decision as well," Kia pointed out. "Yet you're not upset at all in any way?"

Nitrus sighed. "I'm very upset," he admitted. "But the council decides as a group, not just one individual."

"So you're keeping your composure for the sake of appearances are you?" Kia narrowed her eyes at him inquisitively.

Nitrus sighed again and shrugged. He was beginning to look more and more exhausted. "I don't know what to think anymore Kia. Sin has always been there for us before in the past but now, with the decisions he's making, I just don't know."

"He's doing what he believes is fair, as do I," Kia reminded him. "Our ultimate goal is peace, stability and prosperity. If we aren't fair to all then we throw off that balance."

Just then a loud bell rang loud over the school grounds. The young dragons immediately began filing into the main building and halls surrounding the academy. Cryus bowed respectfully to his elder guardians and turned towards the school "I should be going," Kia said as she turned away from the ice guardian. "Please, think about what I said. I know you're worried about your family but, there may be hope for them yet. You never know, it may depend on you." With that she turned and headed into the school.

Nitrus watched her go, feeling sort of numb from her words. It wasn't until he felt a heavy bump against his side that he snapped out of his trance.

"Excuse you!" Nitrus growled angrily at the blue dragon who had rudely pushed by without so much as a word. The dragon was clearly smaller than he was but still looked like a young adult due to his size.

"Oh Nitrus, excuse me." The blue dragon turned and glanced back over his shoulder with a sneer on his massive head. "I didn't realize it was you I thought it was just some other unimportant dragon." Nitrus curled his lip and was about to give the young dragon a tongue lashing but stopped when he felt a paw on his shoulder.

"Run along now Titanus," Volcanus ordered. "I do not want you to be late for your studies."

"Yeah, yeah," the younger, blue fire breather rolled his eyes and walked off with a sulking attitude. Once the younger, smaller dragons saw him coming they all stopped and let him pass without so much as a hello.

Both guardians watched him disappear inside the main building before Volcanus turned towards his fellow guardian with a bow.

"I apologize for my grandson." Volcanus said in a low tone so no one could listen in. "He's been rather... stubborn with his studies as of late."

"So I hear." Nitrus narrowed his eyes at the blue fire guardian. "I've also been hearing numerous stories that he's been using excessive force on his fellow classmates in the combat classes. A dragon who harms his friends should not be allowed to participate in such activities if he ends up hurting every other dragon who steps into the ring with him."

Volcanus sighed as if to cover up a bored yawn. "I have heard such stories as well, and I assure you that I have been taking steps to make sure that the students are better prepared for when they move up to the combat level courses."

Nitrus almost growled, insulted that his fellow council member took him for just another concerned parent rather than a colleague. "Perhaps you should focus on teaching more skill and restraint rather than brute strength with that bullying grandson of yours. I don't want to hear that he's hurt my daughter or son-in-law because he fails to show any sort of control for a dragon of his level." Nitrus turned in an angry huff, snorting a cloud of ice particles into the air. Volcanus watched him go in silence. When the ice guardian had disappeared from view the fire guardian gave a slight snort sending a tuft of blue flame into the air before turning to his school.

Inside the halls it was noisy and crowded; but Amp and Terra found themselves moving fairly easily through the crowd of bodies as everyone moved out of the way to inspect the two newcomers to their academy. They had dropped Maya off at her classroom and were now making their way towards their own.

The girls nodded politely to Crona, who did her best to appear friendly but her efforts were always distracted by the young males who continually made eyes at her to check out her sleek, well toned body. She was definitely shorter than most dragons her age but she was in far better shape than any of them from her years of fighting for survival during the war. Crona was thankful, however, that most of the attention was on the scarred black dragon in front of her.

The looks the girls gave Certo indicated that they were weary of him and possibly even frightened. The boys all instinctively puffed their chests out to make themselves look bigger than they really were. Certo would have laughed at all of them but he didn't need to. Each time he turned his head to face a male who was being particularly protective over his girlfriend or trying to intimidate him, the sight of his crimson eye was enough to make his confident attitude disappear completely.

"Excuse me. Coming through," a familiar voice called over the noise. Crona and Terra stopped to see Cryus pushing his way through the crowd of bodies massing behind them. The blue dragon came puffing up to Crona and stopped to catch his breath.

"Morning, Cryus." Terra bobbed her head politely. "Doesn't your class start soon on the other side of the campus?"

"Yeah," Cryus panted and glanced at Crona. "I just wanted to make sure Crona made it okay to her class and got situated alright."

"That's very sweet of you." Terra giggled, giving Crona another wink; the white dragoness only rolled her eyes.

"It's a sweet offer," Crona said, trying to sound as genuine as possible. "But you don't need to go out of your way."

"Oh, let him be a gentleman, Crona." Terra gave her friend a slight nudge in the shoulder.

"And it's no problem for me." Cryus nodded. "I'm happy to do it." Crona sighed and turned to let Cryus escort her to her class.

"This is so embarrassing," She thought to herself. "I don't need others to look out for me like I'm some sort of helpless hatchling."

"So do you like the school so far?" Cryus asked, trying to make conversation.

"Huh?" Crona snapped out of her private thoughts and looked him in the eye, noticing for the first time that his eyes almost matched the same blue as Certo's. "Oh, uh, I guess it's nice. Considering that I've only been here for five minutes."

Cryus chuckled nervously. "That's a good point. But I thought I'd ask anyways. Are you eager to be learning under Master Kia? She's the best flight instructor around. Which makes sense since she's the guardian of air."

"I guess that would make sense." Crona nodded plainly. Cryus fell silent for a moment and Crona found herself wishing that she were already in the classroom.

"So, Crona," Cryus spoke up again. "If you don't mind me asking, what type of breath attack do you have? The reason I ask is because I'm in the advanced combat class and I try and understand every possible opponent I face off with."

Crona raised a skeptical brow. "Is that all? You think you'd face me in your combat class some day?"

Cryus blushed and smiled. "Well I wouldn't mind." Then he gave her a wink and Crona felt her cheeks grow warmer. "But you would have to get up to my level first."

"Who says I need to get up to your level?" She smiled evilly at him and narrowed her fierce blue eyes. "For all you guardians know, you may have to get up to my level."

Terra stifled an outburst of laughter. Cryus stood dumbstruck as he watched the white dragoness walk down the hall where she spotted Amp and Certo standing in front of a doorway waiting for them.

"She got you on that one." Terra giggled and hurried to join them.

"You don't see me complaining." Cryus chuckled. By now the halls were nearly empty except for the last remaining students lingering to get to their classes. Cryus sighed, content that the white dragoness had actually spoken to him for what seemed like the first time since he had laid eyes on her. His moment of delight was interrupted by a heavy shove from behind. The blue dragon staggered forward but lost his footing and hit the marble floor. Cryus turned around with a heated glare on his face. Standing over him was the hulking blue fire breather Titanus. He wore a slightly irritated look and Cryus immediately snarled at him.

"Watch what you're doing, Titanus."

"Or what?" The fire breather narrowed his eyes and leaned down until his snout was level with Cryus's head. Titanus's jaws could have easily snapped off three or four heads had he been given the chance. Cryus immediately fell silent.

The bully grinned. "That's what I thought." The sound of laughter came from behind him as his little gang of followers poked their heads out from around his massive body.

Titanus looked up and stared down the hall at the classroom Amp and Terra had taken Crona and Certo into. "So I see that we have some new-comers." He looked down at Cryus who was picking himself up off the floor. "I know that you're already buddying up to them. But I think it's rather rude of you to not want to introduce me to them right away." A taunting sneer spread across Titanus's features. "I'm sure that, being a lower guardian, you've had more than one opportunity to meet with them. So being polite enough to introduce us shouldn't be any sort of problem. Am I right?" The dragons behind him nodded with grins on their faces.

Cryus leered at the towering dragon. He hated being called a 'lower guardian'. He had worked hard to get the title of guardian to begin with and was even sitting at the sides of the other elders during council meetings. Such an opportunity was unheard of for a dragon his age and he was not about to let Titanus trample over his title. "At least I can even be called a guardian to begin with, unlike you," He spat. "You're the same level as me and you don't even have so much as a title to go with your name. So I guess we know who the real low level is here. And as for introducing you to Certo and Crona," He narrowed his eyes and curled his lip. "Do it yourself."

Titanus turned his head and gave a muffled laugh. Then without warning he swung his horned head around and struck Cryus in the side, slamming him into the wall. The water guardian crumbled to the ground as stars and spots flashed before his eyes.

"Let me tell you something," Titanus growled. "I am always going to be one hundred times the dragon anyone else will be. I don't need to be called a guardian to be considered for one. My grandfather has been training me to become the best since the day I was born, so once I sit in his place you all will see who the true master will be." Cryus struggled to rise but Titanus pinned him with a heavy paw, restricting his breathing. "And you, wanna-be-guardian, had best remember your place. Especially with me. I am the ruler of this academy. This is my territory and you have no power here. So the next time you think about talking back to me, I suggest that you remember this little incident and think of what else I could do to you." He looked back at his gang and thrust his head back down the hall. "Come on," he growled and turned to head off to class.

Cryus groaned in pain as he got to his feet. He glared daggers down the hall at them and started to walk off towards his own class. As soon as he took his first step, his leg gave out and he fell to the floor. The young dragon held back a cry of anguish and pulled back one of the gold gauntlets that protected his forelimbs. The scales around his ankle were swollen from the blow he'd taken. Cryus bit his lip and forced himself to rise before hobbling down the hall.

"Good morning, class," Kia greeted her students as she landed on the platform just outside the room. The class was filled with shelves upon shelves of scrolls as well as cushions for the young dragons to recline on. The far wall was completely gone leaving an opening for a wide open flight platform for the young dragons to take off on. Crona had been eyeing the set up rather closely when the guardian flew up to the platform.

"Good morning, Master Kia!" The students all chimed in together.

"Class, I'm sure you've noticed that we have two very special guests with us today," Kia announced waltzing into the classroom and nodding towards Certo and Crona. "Please give a warm welcome to Certo and Crona. They are new to our city and will be learning flight maneuvers with us until we can move them up to the next level of their education."

Once again the girls nodded politely to Crona and even to Certo but the black dragon kept his disinterested stare on Kia. The pale-green dragoness walked over to her rack of scrolls and pulled out a scroll wrapped in yellow cloth.

"Uh oh," Amp swallowed. "She's getting out the middle-class scrolls."

"Meaning?" Certo turned his head slightly until he could just barely see Amp in the corner of his eye.

"Each color depends on a certain level of difficulty. The yellow is an intermediate level, whereas blue is beginning, then green, then yellow, then orange, red and finally silver." Certo's muzzle twitched slightly but he said nothing more.

"Is everyone ready for warm-ups?" Kia asked, moving towards the platform with the scroll held close to her chest. The class of nearly two dozen students immediately got to their feet and began moving out onto the platform with the air dragoness. The guardian nodded and spread her wings wide before diving off the platform. One by one the students followed after her. Certo followed after Amp and Crona followed after Terra. The line of dragons dove towards the ground. Crona realized that their classroom overlooked a great valley beyond the walls of the city. As Kia soared back up Crona could see the academy was at the top of a small mountain that dropped off almost instantly into the river below. Part of her began to wonder if the school faced any danger of falling away completely if a major natural disaster struck.

"Crona, keep up!" Terra called over her shoulder. The white dragoness looked back and saw that she had been lagging behind the rest of the group. She beat her wings harder to catch up and join the rest of the line. Kia led them across the valley over streams and treetops and around hillsides covered with wild flowers and rich, green grass. The dragons flew for nearly an hour straight as they let the sun's rays warm their bodies. At last Kia brought the group to rest in an open field with a nearby creek. She set the scroll down to unwrap it and rolled out the text while the class gathered around to look.

"Alright class, today the maneuver we will be learning is called Elder's Feint." Kia placed a talon on the title above the character scratches. Certo and Crona both recognized the markings and their eyes followed along closely as Kia dragged her digit along the lines. "This move was used by elder dragons when in combat with younger ones back in the times of our ancestry. Younger males would fight for dominance over territory and leadership positions with veteran dragons. Obviously younger males are more fit than older males, meaning that they could overpower them if they were skilled enough or fast enough." Kia placed her talon over an illustration of two dragons snarling at each other in the air and the class leaned in to get a better view as Kia continued.

"However, elder dragons carry the advantage of wisdom and experience over the young and energetic, therefore giving themselves an equal advantage in any fight. But seeing that younger dragons are known to be much faster than them, this maneuver was created to gain the upper hand on a younger, faster dragon." Kia moved to the illustrations that described the flight pattern the young dragons would be following. "Now watch closely." Kia walked several paces away and leaped into the air until she was hovering just off the ground. "The idea of this maneuver is to be able to catch your faster opponent off guard when he or she moves to catch you from behind." Kia beat her wings hard and shot up into the air. She flew around in dizzying hooks and turns until suddenly she turned her head as if seeing an actual enemy and gave a powerful flap, allowing her to back-wing and roared, sending out a blast of air.

Crona felt herself tense up at the sigh of the guardian using an elemental attack. Terra glanced at her and leaned in to whisper privately. "It's okay, that was just for context. We're not required to use breath attacks. It's optional."

"Thank the ancestors," Crona muttered, breathing a sigh of relief.

Kia glided down to the ground and received a round of applause from her loving students. She gave a courteous bow and stood over the scroll again. "Remember that when making sudden changes of direction you don't want to open your wings too quickly. The pull of the wind can and will break them."

"Has that ever happened to anyone here?" Certo asked, leaning in towards Amp.

"No, not that I've ever head of. Some students think she says it to scare us."

Certo leaned away from Amp and looked at his instructor. "You should listen to her." Amp looked from the black dragon to the scars on his wings then back to his instructor.

"Who would like to go first?" Kia asked, looking around the group of faces. When no one volunteered her eyes fell upon Crona. "Crona, would you mind giving it a try? You and Certo are the oldest in this class, but perhaps seeing someone who is already skilled in flying would make everyone feel less nervous."

"I suppose..." Crona looked at Certo who barely turned his head to look at her. He glared at her and she sneered back before stepping out in front of the class. "Looks like I'm going first." She rolled her shoulders before extending her wings and taking to the air. Every head moved as the white dragoness flew straight up into the sky. At the peak of her climb, Crona leaned back and tumbled in a backwards loop before shooting off to the side. She snapped her wings open, making a sharp turning spiral towards the ground. The students and Kia all watched with their heads following her flight path in unison. About a hundred yards above the ground, Crona dropped and banked up before using her active power. She stopped time for a fraction of a second, enabling her to open her wings, stop and beat them once before releasing her hold and shooting straight backwards.

"Whoa!" The class gasped together. Kia and Certo's eyes widened. Neither of them was expecting the white dragoness to be able to move in such a way. Certo narrowed his eyes at her as she hovered overhead. She did not have the body of an air dragon but rather that of a fire breather. Certo watched as she floated down to land a few yards away from the group.

"That was very impressive." Kia nodded. "I can see that you'll do exceptionally well in this course."

"Thank you." Crona nodded politely. As she made her way back towards Amp and Terra she noticed the way Certo eyed her. "What are you looking at?" She demanded.

"I'm trying to figure that out for myself," Certo growled in response.

As Crona walked by she purposely slapped Certo upside his head with her tail spade. The black dragon whirled around with his wings and nostrils flared and teeth showing. Crona only gave him a curt smirk knowing full well he would not attack her in such a place. "Stare at me again and I'll hit you harder next time."

"You..." Certo opened his mouth to speak but Amp cut him off.

"Alright that's enough you two. We're in class now. Save it for later." Certo glared at the younger dragon, then back at Crona before turning in an angry huff back to the next young dragon stepping up to give the maneuver a try.

The entire class went through the drill until it came down to the last student; Certo.

"I think you'll have the easiest time with this drill since you've been listening to the advice I've been giving everyone else." Kia remarked, trying to humor the black dragon. "Show us what you can do."

Certo only snorted to himself and lifted his nose to the sky. He could feel the wind blowing from the north. Certo spread his wings, his scars standing out against his black scales in the mid-day sun. He spun around and vaulted himself into the air, catching the next breeze to carry him higher into the sky. Kia and her class watched as the dragon nearly disappeared from their sight in a matter of seconds. Certo reached the peak of his climb and dove towards the ground. He began to mimic Crona's spiraling flight pattern hoping that she would see it; she did and rolled her eyes.

At the start of Certo's sixth spiral he folded his wings and somersaulted out of the spiral before giving a quick flap to shot straight up. Another roll and a flap shot him straight back down again. Certo gave a slight huff and a burst of wind bounced him out of the way as if dodging an object flying at him. The black dragon rolled into a corkscrew over the heads of his class before suddenly banking off in another direction with another flap of his wings. Everyone gasped when he turned on a dime and shot back towards his class. Certo tucked his wings in and somersaulted again before opening them and coming to a complete halt directly over his classmates. The dragons below shielded themselves from the sudden rush of wind that blew in their faces.

"That was very impressive, Certo!" Kia applauded as the black dragon came to land like a leaf settling onto a pond's surface. "I am deeply impressed with that display of aerial acrobatics. I think I may use you and Crona as my example students for the remainder of the course. That is if you're okay with doing that."

Certo thought about it for a moment, bobbed his head once before shrugging. Amp looked up at Kia who happened to be staring at him and the young male nodded, letting her know that Certo was okay with her offer. The air guardian smiled and nodded back.

Certo resumed his place beside Amp and Crona moved closer to him. "Will it kill you to take a compliment?" She asked, irritated.

Certo turned to look at her and snorted. The gesture sent a gust of wind blowing in Crona's face and she curled her lip at him. She hissed and walked back to Terra and waited for the black dragon to turn away from her. The moment he did, Crona stopped the flow of time and struck him in the back of the head with her paw before getting back into place. Certo felt the blow but it only came as if it were a sudden headache rather than a blow to the head. Crona smiled to herself when she saw him lean down and rub the back of his skull with a wing knuckle.

"Alright, everyone," Kia called, getting the young dragons' attention once more. It's about time we took our mid-day break. All of you are excused until this afternoon. I'll see you all back at the classroom. Please don't be late." The young dragons all cheered excitedly as they broke off into their groups of friends as Kia flew back towards the dragon city. When the others had gone Amp and Terra found themselves alone with Certo and Crona.

"Well, shall we go find something to eat?" Terra asked eagerly.

"I guess I could." Crona bobbed her head slightly.

"I need to be alone for a while," Certo muttered and turned to walk away.

"Hey, Certo, where are you going?" Amp called after him but the black dragon only walked away, his head bent down towards the ground. Amp was about to chase after him when Terra wrapped her tail around his hind leg.

"Don't. I think he needs some time alone like he said."

"That's fine by me." Crona sighed loudly, not caring if Certo heard her or not. "We don't need him to ruin a perfectly good lunch break."

"Come on, let's go." Amp sighed, walking away towards the cover of the trees. "We might be able to find some fruits around here and maybe a squirrel or a rabbit or two."

"Sounds like lunch to me." Terra giggled at her mate's attempt at being humorous and Crona cracked a smile.

The lunch break seemed to last longer than Crona had originally anticipated. Amp had spent the better part of an hour hunting for squirrels and rabbits while she and Terra grabbed a small bundle of ripe fruits from the surrounding bushes and trees. They had run into several of their classmates in the process but made little conversation with them, since the younger dragons were still not quite used to Crona.

After settling down to eat, the three dragons took a light siesta beneath the shade of a young willow tree. Crona coiled her tail around herself while Amp and Terra cuddled beside her. She didn't mind that they were happy together but part of her still felt cold being alone. Granted that she was used to it at this point in her life but it still bothered her from time to time.

The dragon's nap was interrupted by the sound of the wind beneath leathery wings. Amp raised his head off of Terra and looked up to see Cryus gliding down towards them. The blue dragon came to hover a few yards away from them with an eager smile on his face.

"Hey Ampus. Would it be alright if I joined you all?"

"I don't see the harm in it." The lightning dragon shook his head. "And just call me Amp."

"I know; I was just trying to be polite in front of the ladies." Cryus glanced at Crona who looked up at him lazily with one eye. As the blue dragon set foot on the ground his ankle buckled and he collapsed.

"Cryus!" Terra and Amp were both immediately on their feet and Crona's head shot up in alarm.

"Hey are you alright?" Amp lowered himself to help support his fellow guardian as he got to his feet.

"I'll be fine," Cryus groaned, embarrassed at having to be assisted. "It's just... why I came to see you all."

"What? Why? What's wrong?" Terra asked, worriedly glancing from Amp to Cryus.

Cryus sighed and scrunched his lips into a frown. "It's Titanus."

"Oh no," Amp groaned.

"Who's Titanus?" Crona asked raising a skeptical brow. The name sounded slightly familiar but she could not place where she had heard it.

"Titanus is the school bully, for lack of a better description," Terra hissed, frost jetting from her nostrils. "He goes around pushing the other students around like he owns the place. And not just the students but some of the teachers too. He thinks that he can get away with anything he wants just because his grandfather is the headmaster."

"His grandfather is the headmaster," Crona paused for a second before realizing who Terra was talking about. "Volcanus? He's his grandfather?"

"Yeah," Cryus nodded. "He looks away most of the time and makes excuses for his grandson while the rest of us are left to endure his bullying." He slid up his gauntlet to show how purple and swollen his ankle was.

"Cryus! Why didn't you see the nurse?" Terra scolded, taking his paw and breathing gently on it. The icy particles of her breath formed a cooling cast over the ankle, immediately making the water guardian feel much better.

"Because I have the same class with him, remember? I have to keep up appearances or else he'll think he's won over me."

"So playing tough guy is more important than your health?" Crona scowled at Cryus.

"No, but I felt it was necessary to warn you all that he's already noticed you on the ground and may be planning on introducing himself. You'll want to be prepared should he decide to start any trouble."

"So what do you expect me to do if I see him?" Crona demanded. "I will not have some half-wit brute who thinks he can take advantage of others because of his grandfather's political position walk all over me for no other purpose than amusement!"

"Whoa, hey, calm down," Cryus coaxed trying to remain composed himself. There was something about Crona that made him admire her yet still made him weary at the same time. "I think maybe..." Crona stopped him with a raised paw.

"You know what, never mind. Just forget about it. I'll deal with him myself if he tries anything."

Once again Cryus was at a loss for words. "A-are you sure? Do you really think you can handle a dragon of his caliber?"

Crona fixed again with her blazing blue eyes. "I've dealt with far worse than some dumb, bat-brained bully."

"We should probably find Certo and warn him too," Terra pointed out. "Titanus won't let another male go around the academy without challenging him in some way."

"I already did," Cryus sighed, the anxiety in his voice was very clear to the other dragons.

"And," Amp raised a brow shooting a quick glance at Crona and Terra.

"Well at least that takes care of that problem." Terra sighed thankfully.

"Not necessarily." Cryus shook his head.

Crona turned her head suspiciously. "Why?"

Cyrus sighed again. "Because he pretty much just blew me off like it wasn't important."

"He what?" Crona suddenly felt her temper rise.

Cryus only shrugged. "He said that he could take care of himself and that he doesn't need my help. I tried explaining the situation more but he just ignored me."

"Why, that arrogant little dick!" Crona hissed, her wings fluttering angrily at the idea of the black dragon turning down an offer for assistance. She started to storm off in a furious huff. "I'm going to find that witless ignoramus and teach him a lesson in gratitude and humility he won't soon forget!"

"Crona wait!" Amp halted her, jumping in her way. Crona noticed the way he flinched as if he were expecting to get hit. "We should probably keep this quiet for now. You both just started here, and the last thing we need to do is start an incident."

Crona grumbled to herself but she knew the young guardian was right. She should not even be there in the first place, truth be told, but she was not about to let them in on that secret.

"You don't really think that Titanus wants to try and hurt Crona and Certo do you?" Terra looked at Cryus with a look of concern.

"Certo, maybe. Knowing Titanus he'll want to let Certo know who is boss. But I guess there's nothing we can do about that." There was subtle tone in his voice that Crona detected and didn't sit well with her. "Crona on the other hand I think is safe," Cryus continued, looking over at her. "I don't think Titanus would be out to hurt you. He's a pompous ass, but I don't think he'd hurt a girl."

"At least, we hope." Amp rolled his eyes and Terra elbowed him in the ribs.

"But he may try and come onto you though if he decides that he likes you." Cryus warned. "It may be best if you stay close to me for protection."

"Humph!" Crona snorted. She did not like anything about this situation. Cryus's attitude towards Certo, despite the black dragon's selfish nature, was uncalled for and his attempt just now at getting closer to her came across as trying to be sneaky and underhanded. As she leered at him, she began to wonder if this whole Titanus bit was just a ploy to get closer to her in the first place.

"That may be a good idea." Amp nodded in agreement, much to Crona's resentment. "And we should go out of our way to try and avoid Titanus at all times."

"So in other words we should try and get back early before everyone else." Cryus looked at the group of dragons hoping that they would go along with his plan. "Besides, break time is almost done for the day."

"Alright, I guess," Crona sighed. The group of dragons took flight back towards the academy in a close formation. As they flew along Certo spotted them from the ground and flew up to join them. Amp and Terra both nodded and welcomed him back but Crona only had an angry glare waiting for him. Certo noticed and glared back at her.

"What's your problem?" He snarled menacingly.

"You know damn well what my problem is, you imbecile." Crona shot back.

"If I knew then why would I ask?" Certo demanded. "Though knowing you, it would be completely meaningless and stupid."

"Oh is that so?" Crona curled her lip at him. "Kind of like you being here?"

Certo immediately fell silent. Crona, seeing that she had hit the nerve she wanted snorted and turned back towards the front. She noticed Cryus eyeing Certo anxiously as if expecting their argument to escalate. He felt Crona's eye on him and he smiled. Crona averted her gaze until the group landed on the school grounds.

As they headed towards the main tower, Cryus slowed his limp until he was walking beside Crona. "You know, I really meant what I said about wanting to protect you." His voice sounded sincere but Crona continued to show no interest in his offer.

"Cryus, I appreciate the offer. I really do. But you need to watch your own back before you can think about watching mine."

Before Cyrus could answer, there was a loud flap of wings overhead. The dragons all ducked as several older dragons, two or three years beyond Certo and Crona, rushed by overhead. The younger dragons all ducked and glared at the dragons, who banked hard and came to a bounding landing.

"Uh oh," Cryus muttered, moving closer towards Crona. The dragons were making their way into a circle around them, preventing them from returning to the safety of the main tower. Certo and Crona only stared at the various dragons with a slight sense of irritation. Neither of them were particularly impressed with this feeble display of intimidation. Amp, Terra and Cryus on the other hand were all poised and ready for an impending fight.

"This is not good." Amp and Terra moved closer together as well, picking their most likely targets from the group.

"Ahoy there!" A thunderous voice bellowed. Every head turned skyward as the sun was blocked out by the great wingspan of the blue fire-breathing dragon. Titanus dropped from the sky and landed hard in the courtyard, shaking the stones beneath everyone's feet. The hulking dragon's scales were a deep blue and his belly scales were a lighter tint. Long, black horns seemed to stick out from every inch of his body. His shoulders were covered in thick, armored scales and his tail was surrounded by shorter spikes that would have made for a serrated surface if he ever swung his tail at an enemy. Titanus was easily three times Certo's height but the black dragon only seemed bored with the bully's presence.

The fire breather lumbered up to the group of younger dragons, surrounded by his little gang. "Well, well, well, what have we here?" He chuckled in a deep, almost thunderous voice. "You two must be the new dragons I've heard about across school."

By now, other dragons were showing up from their recess and were gathering around to see what was going on. Titanus began to circle the group of dragons like a shark inspecting its prey. Each time he circled them, he closed his circle in tighter. Terra and Amp glared at him but Titanus only ignored them. He moved to push them out of the way but the couple easily sidestepped him. Titanus was now only circling Crona, Cryus and Certo, giving the two new dragons a thorough inspection. When the blue dragon moved his attention to Crona, he stopped his pacing. Crona noticed the wild look in his eyes and her muscles flexed in response before relaxing; she would have to remain calm in order to deal with this thug.

"Oh, aren't you a pretty one," He said with a wide grin. "We don't get girls as pretty as you around here very often. Or dragons without any sort of color to them for that matter." Crona felt her face turn red hot as Titanus reared his massive head back to show his true height. "But that's quite all right. The color suits you very well. I'm honored to have a dragoness as beautiful as you here in my academy."

"Your academy?" Cryus snapped putting himself in front of Crona. "You can't honestly call this your own academy. You're just the headmaster's grandson."

"I told you to be quiet before!" Titanus snarled and swung a massive paw, knocking Cryus out of the way and leaving Crona exposed; the bully seemed to have completely forgotten that Certo was there.

Crona was about to go to Cryus's side to see if he was alright but the hulking Titanus cut her off. "Hey, hey, hey, now. Where are you going? Now that he's out of the way, it's just you and me."

"Crona," Cryus groaned as he struggled to his feet; his ankle would no longer hold him up. Amp and Terra moved to help him as Titanus's gang moved in closer, surrounding Certo, Crona and their boss.

"What do you say, sweetheart?" Titanus winked at her. "How about you and I go off for a while and get to know each other better? It doesn't have to be right now but how about after classes get out for the day, you and I head out to the enchanted forest for a little intimacy." Off to the side, Terra and Amp shot horrified looks at one another. All around the other students glanced at one another with disturbed and frightened looks in their eyes.

Crona curled her lip and gave Titanus a disgusted hiss. "Me? Get intimate with you?" She repeated as if unable to believe he had actually suggested such a thing.

Titanus laughed. "Yeah baby, you know. You. Me. Me in you. You on me." His grin grew wider. "Or me on you if you think you could handle this." Titanus reared back on his hind legs exposing his underbelly and spreading his hind legs to expose his hemi penal bulge just below his cloaca. "Judging by your color, sweetheart, I'm guessing you're still a virgin so I promise I'll be gentle with you. At least at first."

"Titanus, that's enough!" Amp shouted furiously taking a stand in front of Terra and Cryus. Two of Titanus's goons turned to deal with the young lightning dragon. Suddenly there was a loud cry of surprise and a stone-shattering crash as Titanus felt a blow to his gut and hemipenes before something struck his hind legs, knocking them out from under him. The impact cracked the stone tiles beneath him and every jaw dropped in wide-eyed shock. Titanus looked out at the surrounding sea of faces with an astonished look on his face. He looked around, expecting to see someone who had stepped forward to challenge him but found no sign of any opponents.

Crona, on the other hand seemed completely content now. She wore a smirk on her face as she looked at Titanus, who groaned in pain. The blue dragon bit his lip as he felt the throbbing increase in his lower extremities. Crona only continued to relish in watching the bully writhe in pain before her.

"Well, tough guy, no offense to you, but you seem to be falling for the wrong girl. If you can't stand up in front of me like a real man then you're not remotely worth my time or effort. So call me when you really do decide to grow some hemipenes." With a curt, abrupt turn, Crona shoved the other hoodlums out of the way and made her way back towards the main tower. Titanus could only watch her leave with a bewildered look on his face. Off to the side, Certo snickered to himself as he shoved his way past one of Titanus's goons. As he watched Crona disappear inside the academy's main tower he began to recall the earlier events of that day when he had suddenly felt the pain of a headache hit him from out of nowhere. The black dragon narrowed his eyes suspiciously at the white dragoness and made a mental note to keep an eye on her.

The crowd who had gathered all watched as he staggered to his feet, his male organs still causing him severe pain.

"What are you all staring at?" He snarled causing all the dragons to scatter instantly. He groaned again as he hobbled off to class with his gang trailing along at a safe distance behind him.


	11. Chapter 11

Certo stood outside his family's cave staring into the sun. The rays felt good against his sleek black scales and he took in a deep breath. The rich spring air filled his lungs and he felt the wind surrounding him spiral about his tiny body. He had seen Neros do this many times over with ease but he had much a harder time picking up on the technique. Certo sighed as he opened his eyes, the wind still kicking up leaves in a small whirlwind around his feet. Neros had a gift and a talent for feeling the world around him, so why had the hunting trip gone so wrong for him? It had been three days since the unlucky incident. Certo had done his best to cheer his twin up but had helped very little. Neros was too depressed to listen to him and had secluded himself to their chamber in the network of caverns.

"He just got unlucky." Certo mumbled to himself sadly.

"Hey squirt!" The black dragon snapped out of his trance and the wind disappeared. Certo turned his head to see his big brother, Ebony, walking out of the cave towards him. "It's my turn to take you out today. So let's get going."

"Where are we going?" Certo asked, knowing that his parents had put his big brother up to this.

"I'm going to teach you how to fight." Ebony looked down at his little brother who was one third his height. Ebony had always privately envied Certo. Certo was a much richer black dragon in terms of looks and talents. Ebony's dark scales resembled a dark brown rather than the black-indigo displayed by his younger sibling. Ebony's eyes, on the other hand, matched perfectly with Certo's, but he secretly longed for the almost iridescent quality of his brother's scales.

"But I already know how to fight." Certo protested. "You and sis taught me that last year."

Ebony leaned his long neck down until his eyes were level with Certo. "You're going to learn about flight combat. You know how to fight your food. But when it comes to other dragons who won't run away at the first sight of you, you'll need to think and act differently. Now let's go!" The irritated tone in his voice almost frightened Certo, but he nodded none the less and followed him to the edge of the ledge just outside their cave.

"Um, Ebony. Can Neros..."

"No!" The black dragon snorted without turning to look at him. Certo's wings and tail drooped sadly. He wished his parents had put Star up to teaching him how to fight; at least then Neros could come along.

Ebony flew out over the valley, just past their family's hunting grounds. Certo followed closely, still saddened at having to leave his brother behind.

Certo was so lost in thought he didn't notice Ebony push farther ahead and stop to hover in place. He drew in a deep breath and roared at Certo. The little dragon squawked in surprise and fluttered his wings frantically trying to stop himself. The reverberating force of Ebony's roar hit Certo head on and sent him spinning out of control. Ebony watched as his little brother started to fall towards the trees below with a patient eye.

At the last moment, Certo blew out a gust of wind, righting himself and turning to glare angrily at his big brother.

"That wasn't fair Ebony!" Certo shouted. "I wasn't ready!"

"That won't matter in a real fight Certo!" Ebony shot back, silencing his little brother's whining. "You opponent doesn't care if you're ready or not! All they care about is winning! And they'll do anything to do that! Do I make myself clear?"

Certo curled his lip and hissed; Ebony smiled. "Good." He tucked his wings and dove for Certo. Certo beat his smaller wings fast and charged his big brother.

Ebony roared, sending out another blast of wind. Certo beat his wigs once, vaulting himself higher into the sky as his brother shot by beneath him. Ebony turned around to see Certo taking in a deep breath. The black dragon rolled away as Certo released a loud, less powerful blast of air. Ebony swiped at Certo with his unusually long claws. Certo weaved out of the way and fired a blast of air in his face before biting down on the same paw.

"Let go, you little cheater!" Ebony snapped and swung at Certo with his free arm. Certo released his grip and kicked his brother in the stomach, propelling himself away from him in time to evade the hit. Ebony glared at his little brother. Certo and Neros were both experts at getting on his nerves and this time was no exception. Certo stuck his tongue out and flew off, enticing Ebony to chase him.

Ebony growled and flew after him. Certo climbed higher and higher, his big brother quickly gaining on him. Certo tucked his wings in and dropped into a somersault, swinging his tail blade. Ebony snarled and fell backwards, swinging his own diamond tail blade to block Certo's strike. Sparks flew as the blades clashed with one another. As Ebony spun upright, Certo landed on his backside and sprang off, letting his claws dig in to his brother's scales. Ebony snarled irritatedly and banked after him. Certo tucked his wings slightly and spiraled towards the ground, an angry Ebony hot on his tail. Certo spiraled around four times before somersaulting off to the side. Ebony continued to fall, unable to stop completely. He turned around as Certo gave a quick flap, shooting straight back up into the air. Ebony roared, sending a gust of wind up to knock the little dragon off balance. Certo rolled away and shot back down towards his brother. Ebony roared again, hoping to catch Certo unable to evade the attack.

Certo heard the wind roar and felt his heart skip a beat. He was going too fast to change direction. The blast struck him head on and Certo cried out in pain. The rush of the wind stung his skin and sent him tumbling out of control. Certo squeezed his eyes shut, not realizing that he was plummeting towards the ground. When the initial sting of his brother's attack faded away he opened his eyes to see the ground rushing up to meet him. The little dragon screamed in surprise and flailed wildly, opening his wings to catch the wind and slow himself down.

The wind caught the grey membrane between his wings. The wind immediately slowed the black dragon but only for a split second. A loud snap suddenly caused a wave of pain to rip through Certo's body as his wings dislocated from their sockets. The black dragon wailed helplessly as he fell from the sky into the forest below.

"Daddy, we're home!" Terra called as she and Amp walked in through the front door of their home; Crona followed after them with Maya trotting playfully in front of Certo.

"Welcome home sweetie," Thundra came out from the back room with Nitrus following behind her. "How were your lessons today?" Terra and Amp both bobbed their heads together before Maya came running up in front of them.

"Mommy! Mommy!" She squealed, bouncing up and down on all fours. "I learned how to use lightning in class today!"

"You did?" Thundra glanced at her mate with an amused smile.

"Yeah, let me show you!" Maya took in a deep breath and Thundra's eyes widened.

"Maya, not in the house!" The dragoness scolded, halting her daughter's preparation. "Come on, you can show me outside." Maya squeaked with delight and ran to her room and waited patiently for her mother to follow. When they were gone Nitrus looked down at Crona and Certo.

"And how have you two been liking your lessons? Everything going alright?"

"Fine," Crona shrugged. Certo only snorted causing Crona to glare at him. Certo ignored her and walked out to his balcony to be alone. Crona curled her lip slightly and walked off to Terra's room to do some private research. Nitrus watched both of them leave before turning to Amp and Terra.

"How have things been going with them?"

Amp and Terra shot each other a quick glance then shrugged to the ice guardian.

"Things are okay I guess," Amp replied. "They both excel in studies and exercises beyond the rest of us."

"Really," Nitrus's brows jumped. "Both of them?"

"Well," Terra rolled her eyes and breathed through her clenched teeth. "Certo excels in exercises and drills. But he tends to fall pretty short in the studies department... for obvious reasons."

"Oh? Nitrus glanced over at Certo who was laying out on the balcony, staring off into the distance. "What has he been struggling with?"

"Well, he has no trouble memorizing, but he doesn't know how to write the way we do." Terra followed her father's gaze and sighed sadly. Over the past few weeks Certo had struggled relentlessly trying to learn the transitions between the wild dragon marking he was used to and the letters used by this dragon society he had been introduced to. Often times he would get so frustrated she thought he was going to break down or lose it. But each time he reached his breaking point he would take in a deep breath and suddenly be completely calm.

"Master Kia has been making him learn how to read and write in our language. He seems to be taking to it like a fish out of water."

"At least she's not making him learn all about dragon history like we had to when we were younger." Terra rolled her eyes, envisioning Certo having to be bogged down with scrolls and books pertaining to dragon history and the black dragon stressing over every page.

"That is true." Amp nodded. "Though at this point in time I don't think it would do him much good."

"I suggest that you all take care of your studying," Nitrus warned in a steady voice. "Your final exams will be here before you know it. I want you all to be ready for them because once your exams are done, you start instruction under Master Tectonica, and I can tell you now that she is not like any of your instructors before."

Amp's brows jumped. "Is she that tough?" Nitrus nodded and Amp swallowed hard.

Terra smiled lovingly at her father and batted her eyes playfully. "Would you be willing to help us Father Dearest?"

Nitrus only laughed and gave his daughter a kiss on her forehead. "I'm sorry sweetie. I would but you need to be able to put forth the effort on your own just as I did."

Terra only shrugged. "Well you never know unless you try."

"You'll do fine." Nitrus smiled proudly at the two young dragons. "I have complete faith in you."

Amp and Terra smiled proudly but then Terra's smile faded away. "What about Certo? Does he even have a chance at graduating with us?"

Nitrus's expression darkened. "I don't know," he sighed. "Only time will tell." He looked over at Certo outside on the balcony.

The black dragon had his gaze lifted to the afternoon sky, watching as Maya flew circles around her mother shooting off bolts of lightning. The little dragoness laughed as her mother followed after her in a half-hearted game of tag. When he saw Maya get snatched up in her mother's arms and squeezed close in a nurturing hug, Certo couldn't bear to watch any longer. He shut his eyes tight and clutched at his head as if trying to rid himself of a tormenting pain.

Suddenly a bolt of lightning from Maya struck the wall beside Certo's balcony, jolting him back to reality. The stray bolt only left a small burn on the side of the stone wall but the black dragon was still caught by surprise.

"Maya! Watch what you're doing!" Thundra scolded. "Go apologize to Certo this instant." The little dragon glided down to the railing in front of Certo and looked at him with a hurt expression on her face.

"Sorry, Certo," She murmured, ashamed at being scolded in front of him.

Certo was speechless for a second but then shook his head dismissively.

"It's okay." He muttered and jerked his head back towards her mother. "Keep practicing."

Maya smiled at him before turning back to Thundra overhead. Certo sighed again and looked at the burn in the wall. It was small and he was pretty sure no one would notice it unless they looked exceptionally hard. It was then he noticed Crona on the adjacent balcony looking at the wall as well. She broke her attention and looked at him. She had no initial intention of saying anything to the black dragon but Certo's constant quarrels with her stirred his snarl reflex.

"What are you staring at?" He growled, suddenly feeling more angry than he had ever before with the white dragoness.

Crona was thrown off by the sudden outburst but she hissed back at him none the less. "I can tell you this Darky, it sure as hell isn't you!"

"Good!" Certo snapped. "It's bad enough I have to live with you close to me, not to mention see you every day we go to that stupid academy!"

"Well if you hate it so much then just leave!" Crona shot back, her talons digging into the stone.

"And go where?" Certo demanded the wind suddenly picked up as his temper skyrocketed. "I have no place to go! Don't you think that if I did, that I would?"

"Well why not?" Crona scoffed. "I'm sure you have a family somewhere. A dragon like you, it's pretty clear you aren't very capable of taking care of yourself. So I wouldn't imagine you not having a mommy and daddy to look after you."

Certo's head snapped back as if he had been struck and his mouth fell open. The words he wanted to say raced furiously through his mind as he stared at Crona, petrified between blind rage and fear.

Crona leered at him, waiting for the next attempt of an insult to leave his mouth; but it never came.

Certo grit his teeth and shook his head as he glared at Crona. He was furious. He wanted to go over and tear her to shreds where she stood but an unknown force held him back. The black dragon's body trembled and Crona saw his bad eye spark with crimson energy. The sudden grip of fear took hold of her heart and she felt the wind rush out of her lungs. Certo had gone from looking like a torn up, broken down dragon to a fearsome beast right before her eyes.

"Wh-why can't I move?" She screamed in her mind as she stared into his glowing eye. "He's... going to kill me! Move!"

Just when she was certain Certo was about to lunge for her, the black dragon turned and dove over the railing. Crona suddenly gasped as though she had been holding her breath and looked over her railing after him as he shot down the mountainside towards the forest beyond the city.

The white dragoness clutched at her heart as she regained her breath. The memory of Certo's glowing eye had left a permanent imprint in her mind, leaving her frightened and confused. "What in the ancestor's name was that?" She gasped.

"Crona, it's time to wake up," Terra coaxed the white dragoness awake. Crona groaned but lifted herself up right away to stretch herself out.

"I'm up," Crona yawned and followed Terra out of her room into the main chamber where Thundra was waiting with the young dragon's breakfast. Maya was already finishing a smaller melon, disappointed to not be able to share one of the larger fruits as had become her custom with Certo. "Morning," Crona smiled to Thundra.

"Good morning dearie." Thundra smiled offering Crona her usual pickings of fruits and dried jerky. "Sleep well?"

"As well as could be expected." Crona nodded. The truth was she hadn't slept very comfortably. She had kept seeing the color red in her dreams no matter where she was. She looked out to Certo's balcony to see Amp hop down from the roof.

"We have a problem," he announced darkly. "Certo's not here."

"What?" Terra turned in a mild flurry of ice and snow. "Where is he? Why isn't he here?"

"You're asking the wrong dragon," Amp replied shaking his head.

"I think we should go look for him." Terra swallowed the last of her breakfast and turned towards the front door but Thundra stopped her.

"No," she shook her head. "You all have lessons today. I can inform your father that he's missing and wait for him here should he return. But you four have to get to school."

Terra wanted to protest but Thundra lifted a talon and Terra knew she could no longer press the issue. She hung her head in defeat as Amp led them outside into the streets which were starting to buzz with activity. All around, other dragons were going about their own daily routines; some making repairs to homes, others rigging themselves out to carry food home from the daily hunting parties.

It wasn't until the school courtyard was in view that Terra broke the silence.

"Crona, did something happen between you and Certo?"

Crona's brows jumped, surprised at being addressed about the black dragon. "Nothing other than the usual. Why do you ask?"

Terra's lips scrunched into a frown. "Because I know you two aren't particularly fond of one another. So I thought that you two may have gotten into some sort of argument."

Crona's left brow rose even higher. "What makes you think that I don't like Certo?" She asked skeptically.

"Gee I wonder," Amp rolled his eyes sarcastically. "The dirty looks you give each other whenever you happen to look in the other one's direction. The snide remarks that constantly pass between the two of you over the littlest things. And the fact that you're always commenting on how much of a jerk he is. And that it's only seemed to increase since you two have been in school with us the past few weeks. Should I go on?"

"Okay, okay, okay," Crona finally gave in, groaning irritatedly. "So I don't like Certo. What's the big deal? You don't like Titanus."

"True," Terra nodded once in agreement. "But Titanus is an ass hole. Certo isn't."

Crona squinted at the grey dragoness. "Are we talking about the same Certo? Because if so I think at least one of us needs their eyes checked. Because as far as I see, he's a few pages short of a full book."

"He's a feral dragon. You can't expect him to know about civil life." Maya piped up from out of nowhere. The three older dragons looked down at her in shock at what she had just said.

"Maya, watch your mouth!" Terra snapped, ice jetting from her mouth. "Where did you ever hear such a thing?" She glanced at Amp, who looked just as surprised as she did.

"I've heard Daddy say it before. All the time!" Maya protested, looking like she was about to start crying at being scolded for something she had no idea about. Once again the older dragons found themselves dumbstruck. None of them had expected Nitrus to say such things about Certo; especially Terra and Amp.

"Maya, would you do me a favor?" Amp asked leaning down next to the young dragoness. "Don't talk about Certo like that anymore. We want him to be our friend, not our enemy. Alright?"

"Okay," Maya nodded and gave Amp a lick on the cheek.

"Hey!" Terra snapped angrily, seeing her little sister make a move on her mate. Maya laughed and scampered on ahead of them into the crowded courtyard of the academy. The grey dragoness sighed and gave an upset huff, sending more frost into the morning air.

"It's okay," Amp nuzzled her, trying to keep her from noticing his flushed cheeks. "You know she only does it to get on your nerves."

"Tell me about it," Terra growled, her tail spade twitching in irritation. The three of them started towards the main courtyard when a familiar face emerged from the crowd of dragons. Crona's heart skipped a beat when she saw Certo coming right for them at a hurried pace. He wore the usual stern look on his face and locked his eyes on Crona. The white dragoness stopped in her tracks and froze. She expected at any moment his bad eye would begin to glow again and he'd tear her apart for real this time.

"Certo, were have you been?" Terra gasped running towards him with Amp close behind her.

"Yeah, everyone's been worried about you," Amp added in.

Certo broke his stare from Crona to shoot the couple a quick glance. "Somehow I doubt that." He turned back to Crona. "If you're planning on going to class today I suggest you not go through the front entrance." Crona and Terra both raised a skeptical eye brow at this.

"What's wrong? Why not?" The ice dragoness inquired.

"Titanus," Crona growled and rolled her eyes. Certo nodded and Crona sighed, now that her concern had been realized. "Damn it." She had been trying her best to avoid the blue dragon over the passing weeks, but it had not been easy. Many times she had been forced to resort to her ability to stop time to evade the blue dragon and his gang entirely. However, simply avoiding the bully was proving to be tougher than she had hoped. Over the past week, Titanus had been sending his goons out ahead to inform him of where the white dragoness was and would then try and get the drop on her during her daily breaks or after classes were released for the afternoon. Each time Crona had barely managed to evade them but she was starting to grow tired of Titanus's attempts at getting close to her.

Certo turned to Amp and Terra. "You two had best go on ahead. We'll see you inside."

"Are you sure?" Amp asked. "Is it really a smart idea to leave yourselves exposed if you go alone?"

"Yes," Crona nodded, surprising the couple, seeing that she was agreeing with Certo's suggestion. "Titanus wants me obviously. I don't think he'll go after you two just to get to me." Then she had to pause to think about that last comment.

"You may want to rethink that last part," Certo disagreed. "I don't know him well but I know him enough to guess that he would use any means necessary to get to you." He turned back to Amp and Terra. "I would suggest you avoid a direct entrance yourselves and keep an eye on Maya," he looked Terra in the eye. "I don't want her getting hurt because of that loser."

"You have a point there." Amp nodded. "Titanus most likely would if he got desperate enough."

"That's very kind of you, Certo." Terra smiled gently at him. Certo only blinked once and remained silent.

Amp led Terra around the perimeter of the courtyard around the south side of the academy while Certo led Crona around the north end. As they made their way along the edge of the crowd of students, Terra found herself musing on a little fact.

"You know, I never thought I'd live to see the day when Certo did something remotely nice to Crona."

"Tell me again why you're doing this for me?" Crona demanded as she and Certo crept around in the shadow of the main tower. Certo remained silent and continued to dart from one pillar to the next, making sure none of Titanus's hoodlums were around before moving on. "Hello, Certo. Is anyone home inside that head of yours?" When Certo ignored her further, Crona began to grow irritated. She froze time and jumped in front of Certo before releasing her hold on it. The black dragon's eyes widened as he came to a sudden halt, seeing the white dragoness suddenly appear in front of him. "Listen buddy, you had better answer me! If not then I'll leave you and to hell with my chances with that jack-ass Titanus. If you're leading me on or planning to pull any sort of stunt I promise you that it will be the last thing you ever think about doing!"

Certo shook off his initial surprise and thrust his face towards Crona's until their noses were almost touching. "Do not associate me with trash like Titanus!" He snarled. "It just so happens that I hate him a little more than I hate you. So count yourself lucky for that."

Crona was surprised by the black dragon's response but lifted a brow and cracked a smart-alecky smirk. "So you're saying that you're willing to be remotely civil, just to make sure that jerk is denied any chance to be around me? That's sweet of you, Darky."

Certo narrowed his eyes at her and the growl in his throat grew louder. "Shut it!" He snapped and shoved past Crona. The dragoness ignored the contact and continued to smile to herself, relishing in Certo's embarrassment. She followed after him as he neared the back entrance of the main tower of the academy. As the two dragons slipped down the halls to their classroom, neither noticed a pair of blue eyes from around the corner behind them. The dark grey dragon narrowed his eyes and smiled slyly to himself as he watched them sneak into their classroom.

The day's lunch break rolled around, finally giving the young dragons the breath of fresh air they needed. Amp, Terra and Crona had spent most of their morning lesson glancing around nervously about the fields, half expecting Titanus to show up or spot one of his goons spying on them.

"What should we do now?" Terra asked as the four dragons broke off from the rest of their classmates. Several of the other students had warmed up to Crona and in some cases even tried getting acquainted with Certo; but the black dragon refused the company and avoided the other dragons whenever possible.

"We could always go to our secret spot like we used to," Amp suggested with a shrug

"Amp!" Terra scolded sharply.

"What?" Amp whimpered defensively. Crona and Certo glanced between the two of them with confused expressions. Amp finally realized what his dragoness was saying and he snickered. "No! Not like that Terra! Not that secret place. I meant the other one where we used to sit together when we were younger."

"Oh," Terra suddenly blushed sheepishly and had to hide her face under her wing until she could settle the rapid beating of her heart. Amp snickered and gave her a peck on the side of her neck with his lips causing Terra to jerk and squeal loudly. She swatted him once before he stopped tickling her. "So are we in favor of the secret spot?" Amp asked, rubbing the bump on his head.

"Sounds fine to me," Crona nodded. "As long as I don't have to see that pompous prick Titanus."

"Certo, will you be joining us today?" Terra asked sincerely, turning to the black dragon. He had not joined them once in all the time he had been at the academy.

Certo only gave his usual response as he looked at Crona. "I'd rather eat alone."

Crona glared at him. "I guess you can only be civil once every year huh?"

"Bite me." Certo gave a quick snap and turned to walk away.

"In your dreams you schmuck." Crona curled her lip and made a disgusted look like she'd eaten something foul. "Besides, I don't eat junk food."

As Certo was walking away he gave his tail a hard swing, sending a gust of wind directly at Crona. The white dragoness shut her eyes and shielded herself with her wing as grass, leaves and dirt peppered her skin. She poked her head out and halted time just long enough to run over and slap Certo upside his head again before getting back into place.

The black dragon felt the blow to the back of his head and staggered forward. He whirled around to see Crona pretending to hide behind her wing. Certo growled to himself and turned away in an irritated huff.

"I have to find out how she's doing that," He grumbled to himself. He had suspected Crona had a special ability for a long time but often tried to dismiss the thoughts of her as they only seemed to irritate him further.

Amp and Terra watched Certo take to the air and fly off over the trees and out of sight.

"Have you noticed that he stumbles like that a lot?" Amp asked.

"Yeah," Terra nodded. "Any idea why Crona?" She turned to the white dragoness, who only shrugged.

"Not a clue," She replied nonchalantly.

Certo stood over his fresh kill for the day. He had only managed to hunt down a small deer for his lunch. Normally he would have settled for smaller prey but today he was exceptionally hungry for some reason. As he gorged himself upon the warm flesh his thoughts drifted back to Amp, Terra and Crona. Amp and Terra had both been edgy around him for reasons he did not know but had soon gotten over their initial anxiety rather quickly. For the past month the couple had been nothing but cordial towards him. Yet here he was alone without anyone to have for company.

"Why do I care?" Certo grumbled through a mouthful of meat; the wind rustled through the trees. "I'd rather be alone anyways. I don't need to concern myself with anyone else." His thought process flashed to Crona and he dug his claws into the earth. "And I especially don't need to be thinking about her!" He snarled. He shook his head trying to rid himself of the white dragoness's face but it stuck with him. "Why is it she's always on my tail about every little thing? Doesn't she have better things to do?"

Certo could feel his temper rising and the wind quickly grew from a low whistle to an angry howl. Certo's body temperature began to skyrocket as his memory flashed back to every time Crona had insulted him for no reason.

"But, I did start it some of the time." He suddenly relaxed as he remembered the previous afternoon when he had yelled at her first. "Maybe she hates me because...I..." Certo felt a lump swelling up inside his chest and he hung his head in shame. "Damn it!" He cursed, shaking his head sadly. "Why?"

The silence was then interrupted by a thunderous roar. Certo immediately recognized the deep rumbling tone. He calmly looked up to see Titanus gliding through the air with his gang trailing along behind him.

"Oh, great," Certo grumbled irritatedly. "These idiots."

Titanus opened his jaws wide and spewed a wave of fire across the ground a few yards in front of Certo. The wall of blue fire burned the grass away leaving a black, charred line of ash. The blue dragon banked up and turned towards Certo before landing hard in front of him, shaking the ground. His gang landed in a circle surrounding him and Certo; the black dragon only glanced at them lazily but made no motion to retreat.

"Hey there," Titanus snickered almost evilly. "You're the other new dragon around here aren't you?" Certo only looked at him with a look of disinterest on his face. Titanus continued to grin at him. "What's your name, pal?" Certo continued to remain silent. Titanus's grin faded slightly. "Hello? Anyone home in that head of yours? I asked you a question!"

"You had best cooperate," One of the earth dragons spoke up. "It's not smart not to comply with Titanus."

Slowly Certo turned his head and looked at the earth dragon. The young male earth dragon smirked at him. He was clearly older than Certo and heavier in build but the black dragon's length made him level with the thug. Certo stared at him just long enough for the earth dragon to begin to feel more and more uncomfortable trying to keep up his tough appearance. Certo turned back to his kill and took another mouthful, blatantly ignoring the academy bully towering before him.

Titanus chuckled. "Oh, you're a stubborn one huh? That's what the word around the academy has been." Certo only snorted; he didn't care what anyone thought of him. In his eyes, these dragons were all weaklings; especially in character. "Well if you won't tell me your name then let me get down to business. I know you hang around with that hot little piece of tail, Crona." Certo continued to eat as if he wasn't interested but his gut began to churn sickeningly. "I want you to get her to go out with me as my mate. She's got some fine tail that needs to be broken in and I think I'm the best fitting male to do it. You understand what I'm saying?"

Certo felt his temper coming back. He swallowed another bite before licking his chops clean. Titanus waited patiently as Certo brought his eyes up to meet his bright orange irises. "Well, what do you say?" The fire breather smirked. "I can..."

"Save it!" Certo spat a bone out which bounced off Titanus's thick chest scales. "I'm not interested." Titanus's gang turned to one another, muttering in disbelief. Certo turned to walk away but a heavy bound from Titanus blocked his path. Certo stopped in his tracks as the blue dragon curled his body around him, making a ring of spikes with the horns that lined his massive body.

Titanus glared at Certo but still chuckled in amusement. "I have to say, it's been a while since anyone has had the idea that it was a good idea to ignore me. But maybe I wasn't being clear enough. I want you to get Crona to meet me for..."

Certo turned away from him and quickly ducked under his tail. Titanus snarled and threw himself in front of Certo again, baring his teeth menacingly this time.

"I don't think you seem to get it pal. I am the ultimate here and..."

"And you don't seem to get the fact that Crona has no interest in you whatsoever."

"She'll be interested if I say so!" Titanus growled.

Certo smirked at him. "I doubt she'd ever consider a loser like you for anything beyond a punching bag."

Titanus sighed and settled himself down before looking away at the ring of dragons that surrounded them. Without warning he swung a massive paw intent on catching Certo upside the head. The black dragon had been expecting the swipe and ducked under it, grabbing the remains of the deer carcass in his mouth. As Titanus's swing passed overhead, Certo shoved the carcass to the side where Titanus's paw hit the ground. The blue dragon yelled in surprise as he slipped on the bloody body, stumbling forward and falling hard on the ground. The other dragons gasped in shock. This was the second time they had seen their leader get taken down by a so-called lower level dragon. They moved in to spring onto Certo but the black dragon whirled on them in a heart beat. He hissed and spread his wings wide, his digits trembling with rage. Certo's tail blade slashed the wind and his hiss carried through the trees, amplifying the terrifying sound. The other dragons paused when they saw Titanus open his eyes. Certo turned on him but kept his senses sharp should any of the other dragons make a move.

"You're going to regret that." Titanus moved to rise but stopped when he found Certo's tail blade leveled with his left eye. Certo glared at the hulking dragon and hissed louder. Titanus snickered. "You wouldn't dare." Certo twitched his tail and inched his blade closer to the dragon's eye. Titanus flinched and shrank back away from it. "Y-you can't do this to me! I can get you banished and that's if you're lucky."

Certo leaned close to the dragon's giant head. "Prove it."

Titanus chuckled almost nervously as Certo withdrew his blade. "I would be more than happy to. I'll make sure you never set foot in another dragon city as long as you live."

"Don't do me any favors," Certo thought to himself but sneered at the dragon regardless. "I'm certain that you'll enjoy making me suffer." He scoffed aloud. "I can only imagine what everyone else will say when they learn that you got out classed by a 'feral dragon'." Certo narrowed his eyes again and his grin spread wider. "That will be absolutely rich to see. No one will ever fear you again."

Titanus gave a startled grunt. "You're bluffing." His heart was beginning to pound in his chest. Certo only gave an amused huff and turned back towards the academy. Seeing him turn his back on him like he was inferior infuriated Titanus. As Certo pushed past a couple of his posse members, the blue dragon roared and breathed a wave of blue fire at him. The other dragons dove out of the way, barely avoiding getting scorched alive. The flames billowed high into the air. Titanus smiled, thinking that he had gotten the final hit on the black dragon.

A sudden gust blew in his face, blowing the embers and ash back at him. The blue dragon cursed and growled as he rubbed his stinging eyes. Certo laughed to himself as he flew away from the group of bruisers.

By now the midday break was nearly over. Certo could see other dragons starting to head back towards the academy as well. He was half tempted to go on a rant about how Titanus had just been shown up again but decided against it. He would let the blue fire breather wallow in his own humiliation.

Crona slipped down the halls of the academy's main tower. She had left early to try and get back into the classroom before anyone else could return for the afternoon's lecture. Crona enjoyed the lectures in the afternoon far more than the morning flight drills. The dragoness was lost in thought about what this day's lecture subject would be and failed to notice a male dragon coming up behind her. It wasn't until he was nearly beside her that Crona turned her head.

"Hey there, beautiful." he smiled, causing Crona to jump in surprise.

"Who are you?" Crona demanded, curling her lip on reflex.

The dragon only continued to smile at her, a longing look in his grey-blue eyes. His scales were dark but were not the rich black that Certo's were, but rather a dark grey. The right side of the dragon was decorated in strange markings that seemed to shine with a sort of bioluminescence. "My name is Nightshade." He bobbed his head slightly. "You're Crona right? The new girl who Titanus seemed to have a spastic break down in front of."

Crona raised a brow. "Oh, is that what everyone says?"

Nightshade shrugged. "Well in a way. That's just how I see it. That guy thinks he can own anyone and anything just because he's the biggest."

"Tell me about it," Crona grumbled.

"I don't think I'd need to." Nightshade pointed out. "From what I understand he's been stalking you around the campus ever since you got here. Is that right?"

Crona narrowed her eyes at him. "How do you know about that?"

The young male smiled. "Well, word travels fast around here. Titanus has his own way of spreading his words but those of us who don't like him have our own little network of voices. I just happened to overhear it from some of my sources."

"Your sources?"

"It's not important." Nightshade shook his head as he continued to stare into Crona's baby blue eyes. "I've wanted to speak to you for a while but I didn't know how to approach you at first. I couldn't even seem to find you half the time."

"That's because I didn't want to be found," Crona thought to herself.

Off to the side, Certo rounded the corner and spotted both dragons talking to each other. He ducked back into hiding only peeking slightly around the corner. Neither had noticed his presence.

"But I wanted to propose to you an idea." Nightshade continued.

"An idea?"

"About how to deal with Titanus."

Crona's brow rose skeptically. "Deal with him? Deal with him as in how?"

"Well he just wants to have you for himself to display his dominance around the academy. He sees you as an example that he can have anyone he wants."

"Do you have a point you're trying to make?" Crona asked impatiently.

"Well," Nightshade's cheeks flushed slightly. "I was wondering if you'd pose as my girlfriend."

"What?" Crona stiffened and her eyes widened.

Nightshade continued to blush. "I was thinking that if you go as my girlfriend you could tell him off and Titanus won't bother you anymore. He doesn't usually force himself upon girls who already have a mate."

"Doesn't usually?" Crona raised a brow, trying to hide the shade of red her cheeks had suddenly become. "Wait, what do you mean mate?"

"Well," Nightshade shrugged again. "We've have to keep up appearances of course. Make it seem like we're going out with each other and then some."

"And then some?" Crona curled her lips slightly.

"It's okay," Nightshade assured her with a waved paw. "I'm experienced so I promise to be gentle when we really do get down to business." He took a couple steps closer to Crona pressing himself up against her breast plate. The white dragoness hissed furiously and jumped backwards.

"Oh, that does it! I am tired of you men acting like horny little scum bags!"

"Hey!" Certo snarled, bursting out of hiding and charging down the hall towards Nightshade. The dark grey dragon jumped in surprise, unaware that he had been under surveillance. Certo sprang into the air ready to slam into Nightshade.

Crona didn't hear Certo's outburst or even notice his charge down the hallway. She froze time and spun around once, swinging her tail as hard as she could. She released her hold just as Certo struck Nightshade in the side. The white dragoness's tail caught the black dragon square in the face and spun him around twice in the air before she kicked one of her hind legs, slamming him hard into the wall. The wind rushed out of Certo and the stone cracked before his body slumped to the floor. Crona stared with wide eyes at him, astonished that her intended target had been missed for perhaps the first time in her life.

"Certo? Where the hell did you come from?" She snapped angrily.

Off to the side, Nightshade stared in stupefied shock at the black dragon then to the enormous impact mark in the stone wall. Crona seemed to remember him and turned a hateful glare on him. Nightshade squeaked in fright and scrambled down the hall to get away from her.

"Good riddance," Crona spat.

"What the hell!" Certo shouted furiously. Crona looked back at him and looked mortified. He was struggling to his feet. Blood dripped from his nostrils and lip and hatred burned in his eyes. "I was going to deal with that bastard myself! Why did you have to hit me instead?"

"I was aiming for him in the first place!" Crona snapped. "But your dark, scaly butt decided to get in the way! So it serves you right!"

"Serves me right?" Certo tried to stand upright but his hind leg gave out on him. "I wouldn't have stepped in if you were just able to take care of yourself with all these jack-asses around here!"

"Oh I see what you're saying," Crona scoffed. "You think that just because I'm a girl I can't handle myself. Well I have news for you Darkness! I can handle myself far better than you ever could! I just don't immediately resort to fighting like you do!"

"Well, excuse me for trying to help!" Certo snarled and his red eye seemed to glow again. Crona noticed the glimmer of light but was too infuriated to care.

"Do me a favor! The next time you decide to help, don't!"

"What is all this noise out here?" Both dragons turned to see Kia duck under the curtain to her lecture room.

"Shit!" Crona cursed to herself. She froze time yet again and walked over to Certo, who remained frozen as well. Crona inspected the damage that had been done to the wall and quickly realized that there was no way the guardian would overlook a hole the size of her own body. Crona tapped her chin, thinking frantically about what she could do and came up with an idea. She closed her eyes and lifted a paw to place it on the damaged stone. All around the academy, magical energy flowed in abundance and began to gather around the white dragoness. Crona focused her attention on the stone as green orbs of energy separated from the blue mist. The orbs were absorbed into the wall and quickly repaired the damage. When she was done, Crona dispersed the remaining energy and released her hold on time.

Kia turned her head to see Certo collapsed upon the floor. "Crona and Certo! What do you two think you're doing causing such a raucous in the halls?" The air guardian stomped over to them and fixed them with an angry stare.

"I was in the middle of being harassed by one of the other students," Crona explained defiantly. "He overstepped his bounds and I was going to teach him a lesson when Certo here stepped in right when I was about to hit the original perp."

Kia narrowed her eyes at Crona then glanced to Certo. "Is that true Certo?"

"Pretty much," the black dragon groaned as he struggled to get to his feet but collapsed again.

"Goodness Crona! You've practically crippled him!" Kia scolded, extending a paw to help support Certo. Once on his feet, Certo glanced over his shoulder and his eyes widened when he saw the wall to be completely fixed. He shot a quick glance back at Crona who curled her lip at him and shook her head slightly so Kia would not notice. "Come! We'll wait for Amp and Terra so you can take him home to rest. You're going to have to watch what you do around here, young dragoness. You can't just go and beat up some boy just because he's being ungentlemanly."

"Quite frankly I'm sick of it!" Crona shot back, surprising the guardian as she followed her into the room. "First Titanus and then this new jerk off Nightshade!" Crona stamped the floor shaking the tower slightly.

Kia stopped and stared down at her. She could see the anger and frustration in Crona's eyes, almost to the point of a break down. The guardian sighed. "I will have a word with Nightshade and his family." She spoke gently. "But I don't know if there's anything that can be done about Titanus."

Crona curled her lip again. "No wonder he runs amuck in this academy. No one cares what he does because he's the headmaster's grandson."

Kia paused to take in the dragoness's words. Crona was a sharp mind; she had learned that very early on. But so many times she seemed far more mature than her appearance suggested. "I will speak with Volcanus on your behalf, Crona. But I can't promise anything will prosper from it."

"I'm not expecting it," Crona shot back. "But be warned, I won't tolerate it anymore."

Kia's lips scrunched into a frown but she nodded anyways. "I understand. Just be careful. I don't want you being expelled for carelessness." Kia helped Certo hobble over to the launch platform and set him down. The black dragon groaned in pain as he fell upon the warm stone. "Wait here, both of you." Kia ordered. She ducked back inside the classroom and drew a curtain across the entrance to the platform. Crona sighed as she sat down beside Certo, who was busy sulking beside her. Crona looked down at him and watched as he wiped the blood off his snout and lip but this did little to stop the bleeding. His black scales were covered in dust and several stone fragments had punctured his skin along his side.

It was then that Crona noticed the scales on Certo's left hind leg. They looked like they had a greyish tint to them and upon closer inspection she realized what it was.

"Certo, is that a burn?" She pointed to his hind leg as he lifted his head to look.

"Huh, guess I got nicked after all," He muttered halfheartedly and turned to lay his head back down on his front paws.

"Nicked? How?"

Certo only snorted. "You wouldn't care."

"To hell I wouldn't!" Crona snapped then lowered her voice to keep from attracting any attention. She could hear the sounds of their classmates returning and taking their seats inside the room. "That's not an injury that would have made just by hitting you. Now where did you get it?"

Certo remained silent for a long time before finally speaking. "Titanus."

"Titanus?" Crona's brows jumped in surprise but then furrowed into a scowl. "You were fighting with him weren't you?"

Certo would have laughed in her face if he had felt better. "I wouldn't call it much of a fight if you ask me."

"That is so typical of you!" Crona rolled her eyes. "You go off and pick a fight with the biggest jack-ass in all of dragon history next to Malefor and then make it sound like it's no big deal!"

"First off," Certo lifted his head to look down at her. "Who is Malefor? And second, Titanus started it."

"Well I'm sure you did little to try and end it," Crona sneered.

"I didn't have to even land one strike on him." Certo leered at her and brought his snout down to hers. "He pretty much made himself look like a clumsy idiot without my help."

"That's beside the point, Certo," Crona shook her head. "What would make you pick a fight with him in the first place? I know you! You're too stupid to turn away from a guy like Titanus, even if it is for your own good!"

"I didn't pick the fight with him!" Certo snarled, actually pressing his nose to Crona's. The white dragoness hissed but Certo didn't care. He was going to get his point across whether she liked it or not. "He wanted me to trick you into meeting him so he could have his 'intimate encounter'. He may have been willing to offer me something in return too."

"Like what?" Crona gasped, suddenly feeling sick to her stomach. She was shocked that the brute Titanus was willing to go through such lengths just to get to her.

Certo only rolled his eyes. "How the hell should I know? I don't read minds! I left before he could even finish proposing his idea."

Crona's brows jumped. "What?"

Certo smirked at her, seeing that he had finally gotten through her thick skull. "You heard me. I said that I wasn't interested in anything he had to say and that there was no way you would ever view him as anything more than a pile of dirt."

"I see," Crona lowered her voice as she looked at the burn again. It was a minor burn but it was clear that it was causing the black dragon some discomfort now; especially after she had hit him for stepping in again to defend her against another school pervert. Her thoughts were interrupted by Amp and Terra emerging from behind the curtain. The two dragons blinked and squinted as they stepped into the sunlight.

Terra looked at Certo and gasped in horror. "Oh, my gosh! Certo! Are you alright?"

"Peachy," Certo grumbled, shooting a glare at Crona. The white dragoness ignored him.

"Wow Crona, remind me not to make you mad." Amp chuckled only to receive a heated look from both Certo and Crona.

"Just help me get this big lug back to your place," Crona grumbled and gave Certo a shove in an attempt to help support him on his feet. The black dragon growled at her but did his best to stand on his own. Amp helped support him on his other side as they made their way to the edge of the platform.

"Can you still fly?" Terra asked worriedly. "Or glide at least?"

Certo stretched and flapped his wings a couple times. They weren't sore yet but he suspected that would change later on. "Well enough. Can we go?"

"Sure," Terra nodded and looked at Amp and Crona, who bobbed their heads. The ice dragoness dove off the platform and spread her wings to catch the breathing of the wind beneath her membranes. Certo dove off before Amp and Crona could get a chance to steady themselves.

"Certo!" Crona shouted after him as he spread his wings and glided after Terra. "That idiot!" The white dragon dove after him with Amp close behind her. Certo caught up to Terra and shot past her. The wind carried him farther and father ahead until he was almost fifty yards ahead of them. The black dragon rode the wind current all the way down the side of the mountain, to Terra's home pavilion before coming to a gentle landing on his balcony. As soon as he set his feet down, his legs buckled and he slammed into the hard stone. Crona, Amp and Terra glided down as he struggled to pick himself up with a greater amount of effort this time.

"What's the matter Certo? Having trouble doing things your own way?" Crona sneered.

"Crona, not now," Terra snapped suddenly, catching the white dragoness off guard. "Amp, help me get him back to the guest room." Crona watched as the couple helped Certo hobble to the back room before following after them. The pavilion was silent. Nitrus was obviously out at the guardian's temple but Thundra was nowhere to be heard. Crona assumed she was out gathering food or hunting for the family.

Once the younger dragons had Certo resting comfortable on the guest bed, Amp turned towards the door. "I'd better go back and get Maya. Can you girls handle things until I get back?"

"We'll be fine." Terra nodded giving him a lick on the cheek. "Hurry home. If you can look for Mom while you're out that would be a great help."

"Can do." Amp winked with a confident nod. He ducked under the curtain and left the girls alone with Certo.

"So what are we going to do?" Crona asked lethargically.

"Clean him up for one," Terra replied, walking over to the water dish in the corner of the room. She pulled it over in front of Certo and pulled his head towards it. "Crona, grab me a cloth there please?" She pointed to a shelf that had been dug into the wall, lined with several sizes of cloth sheets.

"What size?" Crona asked looking around the stockpile.

"A small one will do," Terra replied without looking up. "Now, Certo, I need to submerge your nose, so take in a deep breath." The black dragon glanced up at the grey dragoness before sucking in a deep breath and sticking his snout into the water. Immediately the liquid turned to a rusty red color. Certo felt himself relax as he held his breath, slowly releasing small pumps of air bubbled every ten seconds. Crona brought the cloth over to Terra who wiped Certo's snout with it once he was allowed to lift his face out of the water dish. "There we go. All clean." Terra smiled as she wiped the last of the blood from Certo's muzzle.

Terra went about gathering her mother's medicinal supplies from around the house and setting them up in a pile around Certo's bed. Meanwhile, both Certo and Crona watched her with curious and perplexed stares. It took Terra almost an hour to gather everything she needed. Once she was done she stood before Crona with a sly smile on her face.

"What..." Crona squinted at her, knowing that her friend was up to something.

"Now you get to fix Certo," Terra replied with a mischievous giggle.

"What?" Certo and Crona exclaimed together.

"Why me?" Crona protested.

"Because you're the one who hit him, from what I hear." Terra smirked. "Therefore, he's your mess to clean up."

"But he's the one who butted in when he shouldn't have!"

"Well if you would have just taken care of yourself the first time then maybe we wouldn't be in this mess!" Certo shouted.

"I told you that it wasn't your business buddy. So back off!"

"Both of you shut up!" Terra shouted, instantly silencing the quarrelsome couple. "Crona, you have to fix Certo because you put him in this condition. Certo, you have to deal with it because even though you may have had noble intentions you still didn't need to butt into Crona's business. Now both of you pipe down and get to work." With that, Terra turned and waltzed out of the room, leaving Crona and Certo dumbstruck.

After they had gotten over the initial shock of being chewed out by a younger dragoness they looked at one another in disgust. Crona looked around the piles of supplies Terra had gathered.

"This sucks," the white dragoness grumbled. "I have no idea where to start with you. I'm not a healer."

Certo sighed in disgust as well. "Let's just get this over with." He looked towards a large melon Terra has set aside and thrust his head towards it. "There, that one first." Crona looked over at the melon.

"Please don't tell me you're hungry right now."

"No, dipstick! It's for this burn! We need to cut it into slices and set them on my skin. The juice will soak the burned skin and make it peel off easier."

"Ew!" Crona stuck her tongue out in revulsion.

"Just do it!" Certo snapped.

"Fine," Crona grabbed the melon and pulled it over.

"Watch your paws," Certo warned. Crona looked up as the black dragon raised his tail blade and sent it clean through the rind several times, leaving the melon in neat, perfectly fitting slices. Crona found herself slightly impressed by the black dragon's accuracy as she placed the slices on Certo's burned leg. The black dragon hissed in pain.

"How long do I have to hold these here?" Crona asked, feeling just as nauseous as he was.

"As long as it takes to soften the dead skin," Certo replied.

"Great," Crona muttered. She spent the next hour and a half pressing her paws against Certo's leg, praying for the juices to work faster. During that time, Terra would poke her head in to see how her guests were doing. Both Certo and Crona seemed to be deeply tormented by having to endure the other one's company.

Finally, after what felt like an eternity to Crona, Certo deemed the dead skin soft enough to be removed.

"How do we get it off?" Crona asked as she set the slices of melon in a wooden dish. Certo only raised his tail blade to his hind leg and gently dug in one of the barbs to get underneath the dead skin. Crona's eyes grew wide, "What are you doing?"

"Peeling the dead scales off, genius!"

Crona could only watch as Certo proceeded to slowly scrape away the burned scales on his leg. He had gotten about halfway done when Crona couldn't take the sight any longer. "That does it! This has to end now!" She reached out and took the loose skin in a tight grip between her talons and yanked hard and fast. The remaining dead scales ripped off in one clean motion and Certo's eyes grew wide. The black dragon let loose a roar that shook the pavilion and hurt Crona's ears.

"Crona! Certo! Are you okay!" Terra exclaimed, rushing into the room.

"Yes," Crona sighed, thankful to throw the dead skin out the window.

"No!" Certo snapped. "That hurt! You couldn't just let me do it myself?"

"Not when you're making such a vulgar show of it!" Crona shot back.

"I wasn't making a show! I was taking it slow so I didn't tear off any fresh skin that might be trying to grow!" Off to the side, Terra rolled her eyes and disappeared under the curtain; neither dragon seemed to notice she had left.

"Whatever, let's just finish patching you up." Crona shook her head.

"Fine. The sooner I can get you away from me, the better."

"I think that's the only thing the two of us will ever agree on," Crona pointed out with a slight smirk. Even Certo had to agree as a grin tugged at his cheek.

Crona grabbed a bushel of leaves that she had seen Thundra use to treat Certo's wounds when he had first been found at the Silver River. She used her talons to strips away the thin layer of skin on the leaves before placing them on Certo's leg. She started at his knee and wet the sap slightly to ensure it was not going to lose its tack. Certo watched her with mild disinterest. The dragoness had claimed to not be a healer but here she was acting like she really knew what she was doing.

Certo was so lost in his thoughts he didn't notice Crona place the next leaf on his thigh until the pads of her paw hit a sensitive area and he jerked his leg. The jolt caused his foot to hit a pan, splashing water all over the white dragoness.

"What the hell, Certo!" She snapped angrily but was more shocked that she was covered in water.

"You tickled me!" Certo snapped back.

"I did not!" Crona protested. "I was just putting on another leaf, that's it!"

"Well you tickled me still!" Certo pointed out. "Look, we're almost done; let's just get this over with."

"Fine." Crona sighed and wiped her face of the remaining droplets. She reached out with her paws to place the wet leaf on Certo's leg again. Once her paws touched his skin the black dragon jerked his leg again. "Damn it!"

"That was all your fault that time!" Certo snapped defensively.

"Are you really that sensitive?" Crona demanded.

"No!" Certo's bad eye twitched irritatedly. "You tickled me again!"

"I wasn't trying to!" Crona growled. She reached for his leg again and once again Certo's leg kicked as soon as she made contact. "Stop moving!"

"Stop tickling!"

"Damn it Certo! You're going to sit still and let me put these bandages on you if it's the last thing you do! Now hold still!" Crona moved herself closer and pressed firmly on Certo's leg. The black dragon's nerve centers overloaded and he squalled before kicking the white dragoness while trying to scoot away from her. Crona snarled and grabbed another leaf before stepping on Certo's tail to hold him in place. Crona misjudged the black dragon's strength because Certo kicked her paw away making her practically fall on her face.

As the two dragons continued to wrestle against one another, Terra watched from behind the curtain. When she heard the sounds of wings beating against the wind she slunk back out into the main chamber in time to see Amp returned with Maya flying in behind him.

"Hey, how are..." Amp started but Terra silenced him with a hiss and a finger to her lips. "What is it? What's going on?" Amp whispered, lowering his head towards his dragoness's lips. Maya toddled up beside him and stretched her neck as far as she could to listen in.

"I think I understand why Crona treats Certo as harshly as she does." Terra whispered.

"You do?" Amp raised a skeptical brow. His attention was suddenly diverted towards the back room when he heard a loud crash followed by the sound of two dragons snarling at one another. Terra tip-toed down the hall, motioning for Maya and Amp to stay quiet. The three dragons peered into the room from behind the curtain to see Crona straddling Certo, trying to hold his powerful hind legs still while she struggled to apply the last bandage. Both dragons were growling angrily at one another and rolling over one another, trying to gain an upper hand. Amp cringed when the two of them crashed into Terra's remaining stash of supplies she had set aside for them.

Terra backed away from the curtain and led Amp and Maya back to her room where they gathered close together.

"You see what I mean?" She whispered.

"Yeah, if you're trying to convince me that Crona really does dislike Certo."

"No but that's just it." Terra shook her head trying to keep her voice low but get her point across. "It's all a facade."

"You mean she's faking that she hates Certo?" Amp raised surprised brow. "But why would she do that?"

Terra looked back down the hall and cringed at the sound of another loud crash, followed by Certo's cursing.

"I think Crona likes Certo."


	12. Chapter 12

Certo groaned in pain. His entire body hurt and his head was spinning, making him feel nauseous.

"Certo?" Neros got up and leaned over his brother who lay on his side in the middle of the chamber. Certo whimpered and cracked his eyes open. "Thank goodness, you're awake." The albino dragon nuzzled his brother as he sighed with relief. "I thought you were going to die."

"Wha...?" Certo blinked curiously as he looked up at his brother's ruby red eyes that seemed to glow in the darkness of the cave. "What happened?"

"You don't remember?" Neros's brow jumped in surprise. Certo shook his head only to cause another wave of pain to sweep over him. "Ebony brought you back after only being gone for an hour. You were bleeding bad."

"I was?" Certo looked down at the cave floor as he tried to remember what had happened.

Neros nodded. "Both your wings were dislocated. Your front leg was broken in two places as well as your hind leg." Neros pointed to Certo's left legs and brought his paws up in front of him. "And one of your toes was bent this way." He pointed to the right of his right paw indicating the ninety degree angle his brother's toe had been at. "You had blood all over you; I thought you weren't going to make it." Neros's worried sniffle left a slight echo in the chamber around them. The albino dragon had been frightened beyond measure at the thought of losing his brother to an unfortunate accident. It was not uncommon for hatchlings to perish out here; but Neros had always believed that because of their special circumstances, he and Certo would be immune to such accidents.

Certo nuzzled his twin to comfort him. He stifled his cries of pain as he struggled to his feet.

"What are you doing?" Neros asked shakily as he helped him up. "You need to rest."

"We need to go out." Certo grunted.

Neros looked around nervously. "Out? What for?"

"You'll see." Certo forced a smile through the pain that coursed through his little body. "It's something for you."

Neros's eyes grew wide and his mouth fell open. "Certo, you shouldn't!" He protested, trying to keep his voice from echoing in the cave. "You need to rest right now."

Certo took his first painful step towards the cave entrance; then another, and another. Neros held his breath, expecting his twin to collapse at any moment. After several minutes, Certo staggered into the moonlight just outside the entrance to their home. Neros stood beside his twin as they looked around the darkened forest below the cliffside.

"Are you ready to get started?" Certo asked turning to Neros.

The albino raised a suspicious brow. "Started with what? We can't go anywhere. At least you can't."

"I don't have to move from this spot." Certo smirked, his royal blue eyes glistening in the moonlight. "You're going to learn about combat flying."

"What!?" Neros gasped, nearly giving a loud outburst that would have surely woken the sleeping dragons within the cave. "Don't we need sis or Ebony to teach us?"

"Nope." Certo shook his head. "What they've taught me, I can just relay to you."

"Do you think that will work?"

"Let's find out." Certo took in a deep breath and blew hard. The powerful wind that rushed from his lungs was enough to blow Neros back and off the cliff side. The albino dragon barely had enough time to spin himself upright in the air and fly back up to glare angrily at his twin.

"What the hell was that!?" He snapped angrily.

"Training," Certo replied with a devilish grin.

Neros curled his lips, his ivory teeth flashing in the moonlight. "How can you call that training Certo! I wasn't even ready for it!"

"That was the first thing Ebony told me." Certo nodded. "He says your opponent doesn't care if you're ready or not and that all they care about is winning." Neros paused to ponder his brother's words. While he was thinking, Certo sucked in another deep breath before blowing another gust at Neros. Neros sensed the movement in the wind and gave a quick flap, dodging the gust. "See," Certo smiled. "Your senses are still just as sharp as they are when you hunt in broad daylight. We just need to work on making sure your senses stay like that all the time."

"I see." Neros scratched his chin thoughtfully. If what his brother was saying was true then he could go out into the sun more often and not worry about his vision being as bad as it was. Maybe then he could prove himself to his other family members. "Then let's keep going." Neros nodded and closed his eyes waiting to sense the next movement from his brother. Certo smiled to himself before complying with his twin's silent request

Certo sat on his cushion in the classroom in silence as he always did. It was afternoon lecture already, yet he could not remember the morning's lesson for some reason. The black dragon looked down at the scroll that should have been in front of him to find it torn to shreds. Curious as to how this had happened Certo looked up to glance at Crona, suspecting her of playing some sort of prank on him. Much to his surprise, the classroom was empty.

"When did everyone leave?" He thought to himself. He had only been staring into space for a couple minutes; or so he thought. As Certo continued to look around the class a light shone from under the curtain separating the classroom from the flight platform. Weary, Certo moved closer to the curtain, the light growing brighter with every step her took. The black dragon paused a second before parting the curtains with his wing barbs. The sight before him caused his eyes to grow as wide as saucers and his mouth to fall open.

Outside he could see plumes of violet smoke in the distance. What was once forest now lay in ashes. Down below, the dragon city was still burning. Blazing purple flames consumed the city and all its inhabitants. Down below lay thousands of dragons; many of their bodies cut open from the savage weapons that had inflicted the black dragon with so many scars. The ones lucky enough to avoid being mauled to death lay in burning heaps of flesh. The sight of the purple flames almost mesmerized Certo to the point where he could not take his eyes off them. It was not until he heard a furious roar overhead that he turned his eyes skyward. High above the tower of the academy hovered a lone dragon; his pale body generating mass amounts of the violet energy that had destroyed the black dragon's new home.

The dragon looked down at Certo with his feral-looking ruby eyes and grinned. Another roar struck Certo and a brilliant energy filled his vision.

The black dragon woke up screaming. Certo's head shot straight up and he jumped to his feet. The black dragon's chest was heaving as he tried to regain his lost breath. All around it was still dark; the moons still high in the sky. Certo realized he had only been asleep for a few hours.

A twinge of pain in his hind leg reminded Certo that he was no longer asleep. The black dragon winced as he hobbled across the rooftop of the pavilion and looked out across the landscape. The moonlight cast a faint purple glow on the forest beyond the city. Certo heard a soft murmur from below and looked down to see Crona curled up on the balcony outside Terra's room as she usually was. The white dragoness tossed and turned in her sleep from her own nightmares. Certo craned his neck towards her, trying to listen to what she was mumbling in her sleep.

Crona wept beside her best friend's grave on the battlefield. She was furious but could do nothing but continue to cry. Arcadia had done nothing wrong to the savage apes that took her life; she had never even gotten the chance to live out her life. Why did she have to die? Why couldn't it have been her instead of Arcadia? Was she not strong enough to protect her? Is that why she was dead?

Certo watched as Crona convulsed slightly from a muffled sob. "Arcadia," she whimpered softly.

The black dragon sighed sadly. Apparently he was not the only one being plagued by dreams of the past. Certo spread his wings, which were severely sore and glided off the rooftop into the streets below. He grunted as his hind leg twitched, sending a jolt of pain through his body again; but he didn't care. The pain continued as he trudged up the hill towards the academy. He was thankful for the distraction, seeing that it was the only thing keeping Certo's mind off his dreams and memories.

Before he knew it, he was at the main courtyard of the academy. The school grounds looked so much more alien to him in the dead of night with not a soul in sight. Certo found himself hobbling around the grounds for several hours, passing the time and taking in the sights for what was really his first time since waking up in this city. The city certainly was a beautiful place when it was not buzzing with noise from its inhabitants.

Certo walked through one of the lower level gardens and sat down on a patch of soft grass before resting his aching body. Crona had really done a number on him the day before. He had never felt a hit that powerful in his life. The fact that a dragon her size could pack that much power into such a small body seemed to boggle his mind. How did she do it? And for that matter, how did she fix the broken wall of the academy? He knew she was the one responsible because of the way she had behaved after he looked at her. She wasn't an earth dragon, which was certain to him; but it still did not explain what powers she was capable of. The black dragon sighed, sending a light breeze through the gardens.

"What is she?" He mumbled.

Kia stretched and yawned as the first light of day broke through her window. Almost instantly she was on her feet and stretching her slender body out, stretching her wings, legs, neck and tails; her joints popped as they warmed up for the day's activities. After a quick breakfast, she flew off towards the academy. She was usually the first to arrive out of the other guardians, giving her time to thoroughly think through her lesson plans for the young dragons in her class.

As Kia neared the school grounds, she spotted a singe dark figure in the gardens to the east. Unable to identify the individual because of the morning glare, Kia glided in low for a silent landing. As she crept around the outlying building structures from the main tower she glimpsed the figure moving gracefully through the gardens in the early morning sunlight. The black dragon's figure was easily recognizable to the air guardian and she let her mouth fall open as she watched.

Certo stepped nimbly along in grass as if he were flying on his feet. The pain still clung to his body but right now, that was the last thing on his mind. Certo spun in circles, his eyes closed, the wind guiding him around any obstacles in the gardens. He could see himself stepping and turning in a circle, the grass allowing him to spin as if he were the blades themselves in the wind. The black dragon stopped and elegantly sidestepped and began to walk in a circle. On his third complete circle, Certo extended his left wing towards the center of his ring. As Certo continued to move about, he turned himself to face inwards to his circle and continued to sidestep along his invisible path. Kia watched as the young dragon began bobbing his head and wings while swaying to an invisible tune.

Certo moved inwards towards the center of his circle a little more and puffed his chest just slightly before continuing to circle his imaginary partner, before turning sharply in the opposite direction. After one full circle, Certo reared up on his hind legs and continued to move in his intended direction. This time he would step, bob, then weave slightly, spin to his right, then repeat the movement again. He did this three times before he spread his wings wide, the morning sun showing through the membranes. Certo began to beat his wings, lifting himself off the ground more by the power of the wind rather than his own efforts. Kia watched in a mesmerized state as Certo spiraled high into the air, until he was over the top of the central tower. The higher Certo climbed the more the wind continued to swirl around him.

At the height of his climb, Certo folded his wings halfway and dropped back towards the ground. The black dragon pointed his nose straight towards the ground as it grew closer by the second. Just when Kia was certain he would splatter into the ground, Certo swooped back up at a sharp angle. The strong gust of wind propelled him at a graceful arc but preventing him from breaking his wings again. When the black dragon reached his peak he drew in a deep breath and thrust his head out towards the landscape beyond the city. The roar that erupted from his jaws shook the academy and rumbled throughout the city. Kia covered her ears, astonished such a young dragon could possess a voice of that magnitude.

The tone of Certo's roar struck a chord in her heart. All of a sudden, the air guardian felt sad; for no clear reason other than hearing the tone of the young dragon's cry to the world. As Certo lowered himself to the ground, Kia started to wonder what tragedy may have befallen the young male. She had nearly forgotten the circumstances of his arrival in the city but now it came crashing back down on her. It was no wonder he was so quiet when around other dragons, and why he preferred to be alone rather than in a group of his peers. Certo's roar of anguish still weighed heavy in Kia's heart as she watched the black dragon set foot back on the ground.

The guardian stepped out of hiding and made her way through the gardens closer to him. "Certo, that was a magnificent," She exclaimed causing the young dragon to jump in surprise. "I have never had the chance, no, pleasure of watching such a display of... of...movement! Expression! I... I'm just so amazed right now!" Kia was shaking with enthusiasm, her physical excitement causing a warm breeze to rustle the leaves throughout the gardens. The guardian noticed the look on Certo's face as he stared at her in a relatively self-conscious manner. The dragoness composed herself and cleared her throat before continuing.

"Forgive me Certo. I can get easily excited sometimes. I've never witnessed such a," she paused to think of the right word. "It was almost like watching a dance." She stared at Certo as she tried to read into his now blank expression. "Was that a dance Certo?"

The black dragon jerked slightly in surprise. He had never considered what he was doing to be a dance of any kind. To him, they were just a bunch of movement exercises he had done in no particular order and for a reason he could no longer remember.

Kia seemed to sense this from him and she found herself even more awestruck. "You didn't intend for it to look like that did you?" Certo shook his head. "May I ask you one more question about it then?" Certo shrugged again; it was his way of granting permission to anyone who spoke to him. "Do you by any chance happen to remember the exact order of what you just did?"

Certo paused for a moment to think. As he closed his eyes he retraced his thought patterns, going from how he had started the routine and each different step he had gone through. Certo met Kia's gaze and nodded.

"Excellent!" The dragoness blurted out causing Certo to jump again. "Come with me. We have much work to do and very little time to do it." She turned and spread her winds, before taking off towards the flight platform outside her classroom. Certo watched her go before sighing and following after her.

"What in the ancestor's name was that?" Amp asked as he looked around the room groggily.

"It sounded like someone's roar," Terra mumbled rubbing the sleep out of her eyes.

Out on the balcony, Crona was already wide awake and looking around the landscape. Hearing a roar like that and so close meant danger was near in her own mind. All her senses were on high alert, so when Terra and Amp tapped her on the shoulder, she whirled on them.

"Whoa! Hey!" Amp barked angrily, dodging the dragoness's swinging. "What was that for?"

"Sorry," Crona apologized. "Call it reflex."

"How do you come up with a reflex like that?" Terra asked with a raised brow.

Crona looked slightly irked by the question. "If you experienced everything I have, then you'd have the same reflex."

"What was that roar about?" Amp muttered, returning the girls attention back to the matter of previous discussion.

"I have no idea," Crona hissed. "But whatever the cause, I don't like it."

"Amp," Terra looked him in the eye worriedly. "Do you think it's Certo?"

"It might be," Amp muttered darkly as he looked over at the empty balcony to their left. "I suggest you wait here until I can find out what's going on." The lightning dragon hopped up onto the balcony railing, ready to take off.

"Do you have any idea where you're going?" Crona asked skeptically.

"Um," Amp paused to think. "No not really."

Crona only shook her head. "Never mind then. Let's just go." She hopped onto the railing as well along with Terra, and the three dragons took off over the city. As they flew low over the building rooftops, Crona paid close attention to the other dragons, rousing from their slumber and staggering lazily into the streets. Most of their attention seemed to be pointed up towards the dragon academy.

"Follow me," Crona called as she put on a sudden burst of speed, pulling ahead of Amp and Terra. The two younger dragons followed closely as they came in for a landing in the central courtyard. By now, other young dragons were showing up, all buzzing to each other about the noise that had woken the entire city. Crona, Amp and Terra were making their way towards the main tower when Cryus came bounding up to them.

"Hey you three, are you all right?" He sounded out of breath.

"We're fine." Amp nodded. "What's going on?"

"We're not sure." Cryus shook his head. "That noise woke the entire city in case you haven't noticed." He glanced at Crona then looked around the group. "Say, where's Maya? And Certo for that matter."

The three friends paused; they had completely forgotten about the black dragon.

"Maybe we should go find him," Terra suggested. "He may be in trouble again."

"No!" Cryus exclaimed causing the dragons to jump. Several of the other students suddenly stopped their own conversation to listen in. Cryus lowered his voice and leaned in closer to speak. "No, it's too dangerous to go out looking for him on your own. It's best to leave this up to us guardians. Right Amp?"

"That may be the safest choice." Amp nodded causing Terra to look at him with a hurt expression.

"What do you think is so dangerous about going to search for Certo?" Crona spoke up with a suspicious tone weighing heavily in her voice. Something about Cryus's attitude did not sit well with her and her instincts were telling her not to make any rash decisions.

"Well, um..." Cryus stammered and scratched his cheek nervously. "It... It's complicated."

"Try me." Crona took a bold step towards the young guardian.

"It's just that... well, you know, Certo may be in trouble and that trouble might hurt you... that's all."

"Oh gee, I'm so scared," Crona thought to herself. She pushed past Cryus and made her way towards the front entrance of the main tower. Inside, students lingered about, each mumbling about the same exact thing. Crona, Amp and Terra arrived at their classroom and Cryus followed them inside. Much to the young dragons' surprise, it was deserted.

"That's odd," Terra remarked wearily. She noticed that not even the lanterns were lit, which their instructor always did first thing in the morning to warm the young dragons regardless of the weather. "It's so dark in here." The only relative light came from the outside where the curtain was left open to the flight platform. Beside the curtain was a note hanging on the doorway. Amp noticed it and walked over to read it.

"It's from Master Kia!" He exclaimed, causing the others to crowd around him. "It says: The class will meet at the training grounds in the fields outside the city. You are expected to warm up on the way over." He looked at Terra and Cryus who only shrugged.

"Perhaps that's what the whole incident with this morning was about." Terra tapped her chin with a talon thoughtfully.

"Then we should be going," Amp pointed out. "You know how much Master Kia is a stickler for punctuation." He led the group onto the platform before taking off to find their instructor.

"Certo, this is absolutely beautiful." Kia beamed with pride as she stared down at her inscriptions and illustrations before her. She and Certo had spent nearly an hour and a half reviewing the black dragon's form sequence over and over, being sure to get every little detail down. The air guardian had laid out a long scroll of paper for which she was writing down all her notes. "I love the originality of this form you've created. I absolutely love it to pieces."

In front of her the black dragon continued to stare self-consciously at the ground; his cheeks burning with embarrassment.

"Now if you wouldn't mind showing me that wonderful dive and ascension one more time that would be a tremendous help to my notes." Kia looked at him with pleading eyes hoping he would grant her yet another request. She felt slightly childish by giving a student puppy-dog eyes but her child-like enthusiasm was only amplified when Certo bobbed his head slightly.

Kia gripped her ink brush delicately in her talons as she watched the black dragon climb high into the sky. He followed the same flight path as he had done when Kia was watching him and at the height of his climb dove back down. Kia watched anxiously as Certo shot open his wings and banked sharply back up. With a few quick flicks of her brush, Kia gestured down the motion she saw Certo perform when opening his wings after such a rapid fall. As the black dragon came down for another landing, he found Kia inspecting her latest note. It was quick, light scribble on the paper, but upon further inspection he noticed it was actually a picture of his body in that one instant where he had pulled up out of the dive.

The guardian studied the illustration and scratched her head. She had clearly seen what Certo had done to pull up out of his dive but she still found herself perplexed by the move.

"Certo, could you tell me something?" She raised her gaze to peer at him inquisitively. "What exactly did you do when you pulled out of your dive? By my better judgment a move like that would break any dragon's wings. So how do you avoid such an accident?"

Certo paused before opening his wing sharply. As he did, a quick gust blew across the field and Kia immediately understood.

"Ah, I see. You're an air dragon like me. That definitely explains why you're such a good flier." Certo's cheeks continued to flush with all this attention from his instructor. He was used to praise but when he was not in the mood or expecting it for any particular reason it often made him feel out of place.

"Thank you," he whispered, catching Kia by surprise. It was rare for Certo to say anything at all to anyone despite Kia's urges and requests for him to make friends. Having him thank her gave the guardian a deep sense of gratitude and pride to have him as her student.

Both dragons turned when they heard the sound of flapping wings. Crona, Amp and Terra flew in for a soft landing on the cool morning grass and stared at Kia and Certo with curious expressions.

"Ah, excellent," Kia smiled. "You did see the note."

"What's going on, Master Kia?" Terra asked, glancing at Certo; the black dragon only turned his attention away, still embarrassed by all the compliments being thrown his way.

"It's a special surprise." Kia's smile only continued to widen. "Amp, would you be a dear, and go make sure the other students know where to meet?"

"Yes ma'am." Amp saluted with a grin and hustled back towards the academy, leaving Cryus, Terra and Crona to eye Certo suspiciously. The black dragon could feel their eyes on him but was still too uncomfortable to look anywhere else but the ground.

Before long, Amp returned with the rest of the class following along behind him.

"Very good, everyone is here." Kia stood up from her scroll and turned to greet her students. "Good morning, everyone."

"Good morning, Master Kia," the students chimed together.

It was then Kia's eyes fell on Cryus who had his turquoise eyes fixed hard on Certo. "Cryus, I do believe your own lessons should be starting soon." The blue dragon looked up at her, almost surprised that she had noticed him there. "You should hurry along, unless you wish Tectonica grow impatient with you. You know how she is when students are late."

"Yes ma'am." Cryus hung his head in defeat and turned to head back to the academy. "Later, Crona," he muttered as he walked past her.

"Yeah, later," Crona murmured back. She watched him go before turning back to the class as Kia cleared her throat.

"Well everyone, I'm happy to say we have a special flight drill planned for today. Rather than doing the usual flight maneuvers we will be learning a dance." This news caused a soft murmur to spread amongst the students. The girls giggled to one another as they watched the boys grumble to themselves. Terra and Amp looked each other in the eye, giving a subtle smirk before turning back to the guardian. Crona found herself intrigued by the idea of a dance since she had seen very few before in her life. The only time she had seen any sort of dancing had been during the festivities at Warfang, during the guardian candidate inauguration; even then she had not partaken in the activity herself.

Kia continued to speak once the class had silenced. "Certo here has been kind enough to let me record this particular waltz for our own records. It's something that he came up with on his own and was willing to show me again," Kia glanced down at the black dragon whose cheeks were burning hotter by the second. "And if he's willing, maybe he could show us all how it's done."

Certo's head shot up and his eyes grew as wide as saucers. The class whispered to each other while shooting quick glances at the black dragon in disbelief; even Crona's brows jumped in surprise. Certo's eyes scanned the faces staring at him, while his heart raced in his chest. He leaned towards Kia and the guardian leaned her head down next to him so he could whisper in her ear. A look of understanding could be read on her features as she nodded. Certo stepped away, still embarrassed and rejoined the rest of the class.

"Well I suppose I have been working Certo fairly hard on this special project, so I may as well give him a break." The guardian smiled at him and gave a wave of her paw. "Certo, since you came up with this exercise, you may be excused from this lesson until I say so." The other young dragons all jerked their heads in surprise at the black dragon; they could hardly believe what they had just heard. "Certo, if you wish to you may stay here and watch or you can return to the academy and study your scripting. Your final exams are coming up soon and as much as I would love to keep you as a demonstrator in my class, I also want you to move on and succeed in other courses."

Certo looked up at the guardian who continued to gaze at him warmly. After a long, silent, tense moment, Certo nodded and turned back towards the academy. He suddenly felt light headed, as he flew towards the main tower. All at once he could no longer feel any pain inside him; physical or otherwise. After nearly two months of living in this strange draconic society, someone had actually been able to make him begin to believe in himself once again; something he had not thought possible.

As he came to settle down on the flight deck of his classroom, Certo sighed, sending a small gust about the tower. The air was warm; refreshing. After a moment of silence, the black dragon moseyed on inside and lay down on his cushion after grabbing the scrolls Kia had assigned him earlier that semester. He had been dreading the afternoon lessons every day since he had started at the academy; but today he found himself actually looking forward to it. Certo grabbed a medium brush and an ink well and opened to the next available space on his paper.

"Time to get to work." He thought to himself.

Hours passed. Midday break soon rolled around and the young dragons all went about their usual feeding routines; all except one group of young females. Sabre, Vixen, Katana, Kris and Ulu all flew back to the classroom with a nervous air about them. The five dragonesses landed on the flight platform and crept up to the open curtain to the room. It took a moment for their eyes to adjust to the darkness but once their vision adapted to the low light, they spotted Certo lying on his cushion. The black dragon was conked out on top of his roll of paper, exhausted mentally from translating between dragon penmanship and ancient dragon scrawl.

"Awww, look at him," Sabre sighed. "He looks so cute when he's asleep."

The girls tip toed over to the snoozing black dragon and leaned closer to get a better look at him.

"You know, for being a feral dragon, he is pretty handsome." Vixen smirked, leaning her snout close to Certo's cheek.

"My question is, how did he get those ugly looking scars?" Katana mumbled.

"You think we should ask him?" Vixen looked up at the other girls who looked wearily from one another.

"I don't think that would be a good idea." Ulu shook her head.

"Oh, why not?" Vixen protested, sticking her lip out. "I know you're curious too."

"True." Ulu nodded guiltily. "But you know how Certo acts towards everyone. I'm sure there's a reason for why he secludes himself from all of us."

Kris nodded, her icy blue eyes seemed to glow in the shade of the classroom. "I even hear that he stays away from other dragons even at Amp and Terra's home."

"Well whatever the case may be," Ulu interrupted before the other girls could jump in with their own gossip. "I think that we should keep the source of Certo's behavior private. If he wants to talk then let it be on his own terms. Agreed?" She fixed Vixen with a cold stare. The earth dragoness sighed and rolled her eyes.

"Alright fine. I won't ask."

"So should we wake him?" Kris asked. "Or leave him to rest and come back another time?"

Katana, a fire dragoness, paused to think over the question. She leaned her head down close to Certo's and inspected the scars over his right eye and forehead and across his snout. She found herself feeling a deep sense of remorse for the black dragon. She sighed rather loudly and was about to lift her head when Certo's eyes opened. Both dragon's pupils shrank and Katana jumped back, tripping over Sabre's tail and falling head over heels onto the cushion behind her. The other girls stiffened as they watched Certo lift himself off the cushion and turn to them, half expecting a brawl start.

When Certo stared hard at them, the girls glanced at one another waiting for one of them to speak.

"S-sorry, did we wake you?" Ulu stammered. Certo's blue eye locked onto her but he said nothing. "Um well, anyways," Ulu coughed slightly trying to get her friends to speak up and help her out. "We were wondering about the lesson today. Did you really make that waltz up?"

The black dragon stared at each female silently for a long moment causing them to grow more and more nervous by the second. At last he sat on his haunches and nodded once. The reaction he got was far from what he remotely expected.

The five girls squealed excitedly. "Oh, that is so cool!" Katana exclaimed getting up off the floor.

"I think it's amazing!" Sabre nodded in agreement. "We never would have thought to create something that...that..."

"Majestic?" Kris asked, seeing her friend was looking for some verbal help.

"Beautiful," Sabre nodded.

Ulu rolled her eyes and looked Certo in the eye. The black dragon's eyes were wide with surprise and the lightning dragoness could sense his heart beating rapidly inside his chest. She smiled, only causing Certo's cheeks to burn even more. Her own cheeks started to turn slightly pink and she averted her gaze to Certo's papers. "How is your writing coming?" She asked gently, bringing everyone's attention away from the black dragon directly. The other girls gathered closer around Certo, not caring that their shoulders and hips were brushing his scarred hide. Certo felt like he was going to explode from all this contact.

"Well..." Vixen paused to look at her friends skeptically. "It's not the worst I've seen."

"Vix!" Katana scolded the other fire dragoness. "Don't make fun of him. He's trying his hardest!"

Sabre leaned in close to Certo's cheek and whispered, her voice tickling his scales. "Sorry, she's not the most discrete dragoness there is." Certo was so frozen in shock he was unable to jerk away from the tickling sensation of the dragoness's voice.

Ulu looked at the roll Certo had been scribbling on and looked at the progress he had made. When she looked back at the latest letters the black dragon had been trying to write she nodded. "I definitely see an improvement. But maybe with a little bit of help you could master it in time for exams next week."

"Do you think that's possible?" Vixen asked sincerely.

"Why not?" Kris demanded. "If Certo can come up with something as creative and beautiful as that flying dance on his own, then who is to say he can't learn to read and write in less than a week if he really tries!" The light golden-scaled dragoness locked her eyes with Certo's. "What do you say Certo? Are you okay with us helping you?" She batted her eyelashes flirtatiously, causing Certo's jaw to fall open silently. "I don't hear a no, so I guess it's settled." The dragoness stood up and turned to her friends. "Starting this afternoon we'll help Certo pass Master Kia's class so he can advance to the next level with us."

"I'm all for that!" Sabre chirped, winking at the older black dragon.

"As long as I get to spend time with Certo, I'll do anything." Vixen giggled, rubbing her cheek against Certo's.

"You would," Katana smirked, sort of shoving her out of the way before stroking the crest on Certo's head. Vixen shoved her back and continued to nuzzle Certo affectionately. Ulu and Kris groaned, rolling their eyes.

"Come on girls," Ulu piped up. We should get food before break is over."

"Fine," Vixen and Katana sighed, moving away from Certo. The five young dragons strutted over to the flight platform.

Sabre glanced over her shoulder and gave Certo another flirty wink. "See you after class Certo." With that, she and her friends dove off the ledge and out of sight.

Certo sat dumbstruck and stupefied on his cushion. His entire body felt numb, yet hot at the same moment. After a long moment he blinked and looked down at his scroll before plowing his face into the floor.

"Why me?" He muttered, shaking his head.


	13. Chapter 13

Certo roared and Neros dodged his blast of wind. The albino dragon shot towards the ground and fired his own gust back up at his twin. It had been two years since Certo's near fatal accident with Ebony. By now, the twins were both very experienced veterans of dragon combat. Certo would sneak out of the cave with Neros each night and fly off to their secret training grounds to practice their combative skills.

Certo banked to the side and beat his wings hard, sending a whirlwind to catch his brother off guard. Neros felt the massive disturbance and beat his wings back just as hard. The opposing winds combusted, sending both dragons tumbling backwards, head over heals.

"You know, I never get how you're able to sense my moves so easily!" Certo called as he glided down after their sparring match. "It seems that no matter how hard I try I can never seem to get the jump on you."

Neros only chuckled. "I've been doing this for a lot longer than you have brother. When you can't see as well as everyone else, you learn to use the senses you have available to compensate."

"Yeah I know," Certo smiled. "But I just don't get how you're able to do it all the time. Don't you ever let your guard down?"

Neros pondered over the question for a moment. "Not that I can think of. I suppose if I do, it's probably inside the cave where I can at least see a bit."

"I suppose that makes sense." Certo scratched his cheek thoughtfully. He closed his eyes and began to concentrate himself. He could feel the wind around him, blowing against his body and his twin. Certo's brow furrowed as he tried to concentrate harder, only to cause the wind to rustle the leaves more.

"You're doing it wrong," Neros pointed out, once he saw what his twin was trying to do. "You're forcing the wind when you should be letting it flow. It's okay to guide it but don't try and control it."

"How should I do that then?"

"Relax," Neros replied, walking up beside his brother. "Feel the wind brush against your body. Then feel it blow against your scales. Sense which scales it's hitting and which ones it's not. You have to start big then work your way down."

"Ah, I see." Certo nodded. He closed his eyes and tried again.

Crona sat on the balcony outside Terra's room studying her scrolls. Terra and Amp sat close by studying their own material together. Crona was by far the smartest and cleverest of all the dragons in the class and possibly even the school but she tried her best not to flaunt about it. The couple would often call her over to help them with their own studies which Crona found herself actually enjoying. Final exams were less than five days away and Terra and Amp being as nervous as they were about passing to the next level, Crona was more than wiling to assist her friends.

After what had felt like the fifth or sixth time tutoring them, Crona moved out to the balcony to finish her own notes. She had barely picked up the ink brush in front of her when she heard an explosion of laughter. The sudden shout surprised her causing her to drop to the brush, covering her forelimbs in black ink. The white dragoness looked over to the adjacent balcony and saw five young dragonesses grouped around Certo all giggling childishly to one another.

"Don't tell him to write that!" Ulu scolded as Vixen and Sabra giggled hysterically together. Certo glanced at them, unsure what they were whispering about. "Sorry Certo," Ulu apologized for her friends. "They're having a boy moment."

"Boy moment?" Sabre and Vixen snapped their heads around. "We are not!"

"Oh?" Ulu raised a brow. "And by tricking poor Certo into writing that he loves you is not a bit like what the older boys used to trick us into doing when we were first learning to write?" Certo and Crona's eyes grew wide at this and their cheeks burned with embarrassment.

"We were just having a little fun with him." Vixen pouted, pressing her cheek to Certo's and giving her friend puppy-eyes. "Why all work and play?"

"Because we're supposed to be helping Certo pass to the next level, that's why," Kris stated flatly. "Now back to work you two." Vixen and Sabre sighed and continued to write down their notes for Certo to translate when he was done with the current scroll in front of him. As they continued to giggle to one another Crona slipped back inside Terra's room.

"What are they doing here?" She demanded.

"Helping Certo to pass Master Kia's class," Amp replied, trying not to incite too much anger from the white dragoness.

"Helping him?" Crona's brows jumped. "Are you kidding me? They're all over him out there!"

"I think it's kind of cute." Terra chuckled, nuzzling Amp's shoulder. "But it does seem to be working in Certo's benefit don't you think?"

"His benefit? How can five girls falling all over him be benefitting him?"

"Okay, bad example." Terra rolled her eyes. "But it's definitely benefitting you."

"Me?"

"Yeah," Terra smiled slyly. "This way, Certo isn't bothering you when you could be getting your own studying done."

Crona paused to think about that. "True..."

"See!" Terra practically jumped to her feet in excitement. "I knew you would agree with me!"

"Oh spare me!" Crona huffed and walked back out onto the balcony. She looked down at the ink covering her white scales and sighed irritatedly. Katana and Kris noticed her and smiled in her direction.

"Hi Crona!" They chirped together.

"Care to join our study group?" Sabre asked.

"Amp and Terra can join too!" Vixen winked at Certo who quickly turned his eyes to his scroll.

Crona only gave a disgusted huff and dove over the balcony before spreading her wings and flying away. The five girls watched her go with perplexed looks on their faces.

"Huh," Ulu scratched her cheek. "I wonder what's eating her."

Crona sat beside a creek just outside the city to wash herself off. She had no idea why she suddenly felt so irritated by her classmates taking a liking to Certo. Maybe it was just they way they were going about it that bothered her. Or was it the fact that he was not doing anything to discourage them from such behavior despite the fact that he was clearly older than them?

"That jerk. What a way to play on girls' feelings like that."

"Who are you talking about?" Crona jumped to see Cryus walking towards her up the creek. He did not have on his gold-plated armor like he usually did. A smile spread across his features as he waded over to Crona who was still feeling caught off guard by his sudden appearance.

"What are you doing here?" Crona gasped, taking a step back.

"I could ask the same thing." Cryus narrowed his eyes at her questioningly. "Usually I come out here when I want to relax. All the exams coming up have everyone super tense, and being a water dragon, I have to be relaxed."

"I suppose that makes sense." Crona nodded. "I was just coming down to clean myself a bit."

"You came to the creek to bathe?" Cryus raised a brow and did his best not to fantasize about the white dragoness cleansing herself.

"It wasn't much really," Crona replied obliviously as she looked down at her front limbs. "I just spilled some ink on myself and felt that it's not good for a white dragoness to be showing any signs of being tainted." She gave a nervous laugh as did Cryus.

"No I suppose not. But that would be rather ironic don't you think?"

"I suppose." Crona chuckled slightly before looking around. "So how often do you come here?"

"Well," Cryus scratched his chin bashfully. "It's quiet and peaceful so I try and come here whenever I can spare time from my guardian duties." He then looked at Crona and smiled. "Why do you ask? Trying to find out when I'll be here?"

"Yeah, so I'll know when to avoid this spot." Crona smirked back.

"Ouch," Cryus pretended as if he had been stabbed in the heart. "Has anyone told you you're a bit uptight?"

"Has anyone told you you're a bit out of your league with me?"

Cryus paused. "Maybe. But I do like a challenge."

Crona gave an amused chuckle. "You would have your paws full with me buddy," She thought to herself. "I suppose that's admirable in a way. As long as you're not too arrogant about it."

"Noted." Cryus smiled and pretended to be writing her words down in a book. Crona smiled genuinely for what felt like the first time since meeting the guardians.

When he was done, Cryus walked up onto the bank and sat down on the mossy rocks a few feet away from Crona. He had observed her enough to know that she liked space and to not be too close to anyone. "Are you nervous about the exams coming up?"

"No, not really." Crona shook her head. "It's nothing I haven't done before."

"You sound like you've been through schooling before."

"Yeah. Back home I had some pretty strict instructors." Crona rolled her eyes as she thought back to her schooling years. "They were all about respecting your superiors as well as everyone in the world around you."

Cryus nodded. "I can understand the respecting your superiors. That's something that all the guardians try to emphasize." Cryus tilted his head sideways to get a better look at Crona. Her golden breast plate seemed to give her a celestial glow in the late afternoon sun. "If you don't mind me asking, do you have a personal vendetta against us guardians?"

Crona's eyes narrowed. She knew she had not been the most gracious towards Cryus and the older guardians, despite their openness to welcome her into their city and their lives. However, she remembered her private conversation with Sin in the library; the guardians, and many of the dragons in the academy, carried a smug sense of self righteousness that did not sit well with the white dragoness. It made her so uncomfortable sometimes it was almost nauseating.

"I'd rather not talk about it right now, please," Crona replied, turning her eyes away from the water guardian and towards the trickling water before her.

Cryus sighed and followed her gaze. Tiny guppies splashed around in the shallows, showing off their various, vibrant colors before the two dragons.

"So," Cryus coughed grabbing Crona's attention again. "Where are you from exactly?"

"I'd rather not talk about it right now," Crona repeated, not breaking her gaze from the dancing guppies. She suddenly felt sad; alone. She missed her father and found herself wondering how he was doing. No doubt driving himself mad wondering where she was. She felt so guilty and selfish. If she had not begged him to take that personal trip then she would not be in this mess. She would not be stuck over one-thousand years away from him in a part of the world that had no idea of what was about to happen and not be able to sit by and just watch as history played through all over again.

Cryus saw the look of hurt in Crona's eyes and immediately regretted asking the question. "Never mind," He turned away from her in shame. "I shouldn't have asked."

"Don't worry about it." Crona shook her head, glancing at him out of the corner of her eye. The remaining water droplets on his scales glinted like tiny gems against his blue scales. "I should get going. I don't want Terra and Amp to worry about me too much." She rose to her feet and started to walk away when Cryus called out to her.

"Crona," The white dragoness turned to look at him. "You... you really did experience something didn't you? That war you mentioned before. It was true, wasn't it?"

Crona stared blankly at Cryus, unsure of what his intention was. At last she sighed. "You tell me," She replied almost forlornly, and spread her black wings to fly home. Cryus watched her leave before sighing once again himself and turned to see a group of dragonflies flying around the trees for their evening supper.

Cryus smiled to himself as he watched them catch the various other insects in the air. "You guys are lucky. You don't have to worry about the issues the rest of us do." A couple of the dragonflies stopped and watched as he trudged away towards the city.

By the time Crona returned to Terra's balcony, the sun was already setting over the hills in the distance. The city was already cast in shadows from the towering academy. Torches were the only illumination inside the dragon pavilion, making long shadows cast about the halls and chambers.

As Crona set foot down on the balcony railing she noticed the five younger girls saying their goodbyes to Certo.

"We'll see you in class tomorrow Certo." Ulu smiled kindly.

"I can't wait for Master Kia to see how much you've improved." Sabre giggled excitedly. "She'll be so impressed!"

"Sleep well Certy," Vixen whispered, seductively rubbing her cheek against his.

"You did well today," Katana smiled and patted him on his opposite shoulder.

"I agree." Kris nodded. "You've come a long way in the past couple hours."

Certo only sat silently, thankful that the blood rushing to his face could not be seen against his dark scales.

Just as the five girls were about to head off towards home they noticed Crona staring at them from the other balcony.

"Goodnight, Crona," the chimed together. Crona forced a smile and waved a paw as they flew away into the growing darkness. When they were gone Crona fixed Certo with a disappointed look. The black dragon had not noticed her staring at him, too embarrassed to think straight.

"You really are something else, you know that?" The white dragoness spoke, getting the black dragon's attention. Certo lifted his head in surprise but glared at Crona none the less.

"What are you blabbering about now?" He sighed, already exhausted from the unending studying.

"Leading those girls on like that!" Crona scolded. "They're all over you and... and... it's just disgusting!"

Certo's eyes narrowed, partly in anger and partly in fatigue. "You think I asked them to? I never asked them for help. So it's not my fault that girls are so weird."

Crona ignored the last past of his comment. "Well it's not like you're trying very hard to discourage them. It's not right for a dragon your age to toy with younger girls."

Certo crossed his paws, pretending to take her words into consideration. "Okay then, what do you suggest I do to get rid of them? Kill them?"

Crona's head snapped back in surprise and she curled her lip in a feral hiss. "No you barbaric savage! I'm talking about forcing them to lay off you. If you have any sense of dignity that is."

Certo sighed and lay his head down on his paws. "Whatever," he sighed before closing his eyes. He didn't bother putting away his writing tools and had conked out in a matter of seconds.

Crona grumbled to herself and curled up on her nest of blankets on the balcony. She was too tired to get into a serious quarrel with Certo tonight. Back inside the room, Amp and Terra pretended to sleep. When they were certain Crona was asleep herself they glanced at each other and winked slyly.

"Told you so," Terra whispered.

Amp only shook his head playfully and gave his dragoness a silent kiss on the cheek. "Still have to convince me more, my dear."

Terra rolled her eyes and licked his muzzle. "I'm sure you'll see soon enough, Ampy." She snuggled closer to him, allowing his wing to drape over her whole body before falling asleep.

The next afternoon was not much better for Certo. As if on cue, the girls were waiting for him out on the flight platform immediately after class. They all grinned excitedly at the black dragon, who tried to position Terra and Amp between him and the ogling girls. Terra and Amp quickly caught onto his ploy and removed themselves by diving off the platform and heading towards home.

"See you at home buddy!" Amp called, spinning in the air to wave. He was trying his best not to laugh out loud at the black dragon's predicament.

"Good luck!" Terra hollered. "See you at home."

Certo stared at them as they flew away, grumbling in his head. He stared at five girls sauntering over to him playfully.

"Shall we?" Vixen asked, giving Certo a slight bump with her hips. The black dragon towered over all of them; by a full two heads to be exact. Vixen's hip only managed to bump against Certo's thigh causing him to waver only slightly. Certo sighed and dove off the platform and shot towards Terra and Amp's pavilion. The five girls chased after him but were unable to keep up. It took them several minutes to catch up and by then Certo had already arrived at his new home. He had already gotten his writing tools out and was starting to write without them.

Undiscouraged, the girls went on about tutoring Certo from the previous day. Exams were in less than four days now, and they were determined to have Certo pass into the next course with them.

The study group had only been working for more than a few hours when Crona had returned from a quiet private study in the city library. When she saw the five girls piled around Certo she immediately felt her temper begin to rise.

"You know, Certo," Sabre started as she leaned in closer to his side. "I think you have the right idea about making the letters. But you should also make sure you focus on making the letters perfectly clear. Otherwise Master Kia won't be able to read your writing."

"And just how do you think he'll do that?" Ulu asked raising a suspicious brow. She knew Sabre well, and could tell by the way her friend was acting that there was a secret underlying agenda in her words. "He's doing just fine as it is."

"I'm just making sure so he doesn't rush himself." Sabre winked at the lightning dragoness. "Like this Certo." She scooted closer to Certo and placed her paw on his, gently taking control of his brush strokes. The other girls made subtle glances at one another, surprised at Sabre's bold move.

Crona had been hovering overhead and seeing this made her blood boil. She landed in a flurry of leathery wings, surprising the girls and causing them to yelp in surprise. "What in the ancestor's name do you all think you're doing?" She snapped, catching the younger girls off guard.

"What's the problem?" Vixen asked, trying to sound innocent. "We're just helping him study."

"Yeah," Katana nodded. "He needs to learn to write or he won't be able to pass to the next level of training with us."

"You five shouldn't be treating Certo like this!" Crona nearly spat. "He's older than you for one, and two, girls your age should not be behaving like this!"

This caused the young dragons to leer at her. "What are you, our mother?" Kris demanded.

"Yeah," Vixen hissed. "You make yourself sound like an elder when you talk like that."

Crona jolted as if she had been slapped. She stared angrily into the fire dragoness's eyes; part of her wanted to lash out at the young dragoness and put her in her place. "If that were true then I'm certain you would not be talking to me like this. I am older than you all, smarter and more experienced than all of you put together."

"Oh really?" Vixen narrowed her eyes at Crona suspiciously. "So then you have mated yourself then? And not just once but several times?"

"What?" Crona's cheeks suddenly turned deep red against her white scales. "What does mating have to do with any of this?"

"Well you said you were more experienced than all of us," Kris smirked, taking Vixen's words and adding to the argument. "We assume that since you're getting upset about us being a little flirty with Certo that means you're more experienced with boys than us."

"I wonder if that would be Titanus at all?" Katana tapped her chin slightly. "He did seem to show a deep interest in you the first day."

"No, I don't think Titanus is Crona's type." Ulu pointed out. "From what I hear, Cryus has been hoping to court her some day."

Crona's face turned almost entirely red, and the blood continued to turn her white scales a bright pink along her body. Her mouth hung open in shock as she tried to find the right rebuttal to the smug young dragons' remarks.

"I think you hit the mark with Cryus there," Sabre snickered.

Hearing the remark brought Crona out of her initial shock and she grit her teeth. "I do not like Cryus. I don't like him or any of the guardians for that matter."

Ulu cocked her head slightly at this. "Well if you don't then..." Her voice trailed off as she turned to look at Certo who was trying to ignore the girls' petty squabbling by continuing his writing practice. The other girls noticed Ulu's stare and their eyes widened.

"Certo?" They exclaimed.

"What?" Certo and Crona's eyes widened and they shot each other a quick glance before averting their eyes. Across from the balcony, Amp and Terra poked their heads out slightly to hear what was going on.

"You five must be out of your minds to think that I would even remotely have feelings for Certo!" Crona hissed, almost spitting at the black dragon. Certo shot her an angry glare with his crimson eye but remained silent.

"Are you sure?" Sabre raised a brow, as if mocking the white dragoness. "For all we know you could just be hiding your true feelings for him."

Crona's teeth started to grind furiously as she did her best to refrain from thrashing the young dragoness. "I hate Certo!" She hissed through her clenched teeth.

Terra and Amp cringed at her words but the five younger females remained unfazed by the slashing remark.

"Then you won't mind if I do this then?" Sabre turned and opened her mouth wide. Crona watched with wide eyes as she dragged her tongue along Certo's cheek, giving him a big, wet, lick. The other dragons stared from Sabre to Crona and then to Certo with eyes filled with astonishment. Sabre smiled up at Crona who was frozen in disbelief.

"These girls!" She thought to herself. "They have no idea!" Crona's talons flexed furiously as she glared at the girls. "How can you take any sort of interest in such an idiotic, smug, trash-talking tosser!"

"Not Certo!" Vixen protested in an almost childlike manner, and draped her wing around Certo, pulling him close to her.

"Is it because you two live together that you know each other better?" Ulu asked skeptically.

"That's exactly it!" Crona spat. "I know him better than all of you put together!"

"Well that may be true," Kris nodded thoughtfully. "But maybe it's just you he's like that around."

"Ugh! Forget it!" Crona snapped and flew over to Terra's balcony. Terra and Amp quickly ducked back inside and pretended to be reviewing their notes. Crona landed and stormed inside and flopped down beside Terra. "Can you believe those girls? All over that jerk like they were ants!"

"Feeling jealous?" Amp asked raising an eyebrow.

Crona shot him a death glare. "Don't you start with me too Amp." The white dragoness hissed.

"Well he does have a bit of a point," Terra pointed out. "Normally it's just you and Certo fighting with each other all the time. But now that someone else is taking a liking to him you're getting all defensive about it."

"What they're doing is disgusting!" Crona snapped. "The way they flirt with him and make these not-so-subtle moves on him is just gross! He's so much older than they are and he can't even tell them to knock it off! It wouldn't be as big a deal if they weren't so clingy to him and were focusing more on helping him study."

Terra and Amp exchanged looks. They understood where Crona was coming from but at the same time they both knew this little dilemma could work out in their favor. The couple smirked at each other and continued studying.

Back outside the girls were busy wrapping up their study session with the black dragon.

"Only a couple more days left." Katana yawned, stretching her wings wide.

"Yup, and then we'll be off to Master Tectonica's group."

The name of the earth guardian caused Certo to frown. She, out of all the guardians, had displayed the most distaste for him residing within the dragon city.

"Certo," Sabre nudged him slightly, snapping him out of his trance. The black dragon stared blankly into her navy blue eyes. "Would you mind escorting us home?"

"Oh! I like that idea!" Vixen chirped, nearly hopping up off the floor with excitement.

The black dragon paused to think over their request. He really did not want to leave the balcony, seeing as he was already there.

"Please Certo," Kris pleaded batting her eye lashes at him. "It would be safer for us if we had a strong male like you to watch over us."

Certo almost cringed as a violent image flashed in his mind. He squeezed his eyes shut and shook the memory out of his thoughts.

"Certo? Are you okay?" Ulu asked worriedly. The black dragon rose to his feet and reared up onto his hind legs, placing his front paws on the railing. He looked back at the girls before thrusting his head to move out. The girls giggled excitedly and quickly took to the air. Certo followed after them at an easy pace.

The first to get dropped off was Ulu. She glided down to her home as her friends waved goodbye as they flew on ahead towards Kris's home. Katana was escorted to her family's pavilion after Kris and then Vixen.

As Sabre led the black dragon towards her family's home she found herself eyeing him closely. The scars across Certo's body gave him a very broken down and wild appearance, but in the fading sunlight, he seemed even more unworldly. It was like he was a dragon that did not belong in civilization or the wilderness. Sabre began to wonder if he felt the same way about himself.

Once her house was in view, Sabre glided down to the streets for a graceful landing. Certo followed after her looking rather disinterested as the few lingering dragons stared at the two of them. When they arrived at her home pavilion, Sabre turned to Certo with a smile.

"Thank you for escorting us home Certo." She gave a slight giggle to herself. "We know we sort of forced you into it, but we like being around you. Even if you hardly say anything." The black dragon's cheeks flushed slightly, but other than that, he continued to remain silent. The ice dragoness reached a paw up and touched three of the scars on Certo's neck; his muscles twitched as if the wound were still sensitive. Sabre noticed and nuzzled Certo affectionately. "Maybe one day you'll feel more comfortable talking to all of us." She looked into his eyes and smiled warmly. She started to lean her snout towards his when an angry voice interrupted her.

"Young lady! What in ancestor's name do you think you're doing?" Sabre whirled around to see her mother and father, two ice dragons, standing in the doorway to their home.

"Uh, Mom...Dad..." Sabre stammered, embarrassed that she had nearly been caught by her parents, trying to pull a move on a boy.

"What do you think you're doing with that black dragon?" Her mother scolded, automatically inciting an angry glare from Certo.

"Mom, this is Certo." Sabre looked back it the black dragon and then to her parents again. "He's one of my classmates. He's new and was being nice enough to escort me home after class."

"I don't care who he is," Her father growled, frost jetting from his nostrils. "He's a wild dragon. And no daughter of mine is going to be caught in the company of such a barbaric beast." Certo's crimson eye turned on the towering male and a fire seemed to burn deep inside his heart.

"Dad, he's not a barbarian," Sabre protested. "He's been nothing but sweet and kind hearted to us."

"It's all just a show," Sabre's father scoffed. "Now get inside and go to your room."

"But Dad!"

"Right now!" The ice dragon roared loudly. The noise was beginning to grab the attention of the neighbors, who were now poking their heads out of their homes to see what the commotion was about.

Tears began to swell up in Sabre's eyes. She looked at Certo for help but the black dragon only thrust his head towards her home, urging her to go.

"I'm sorry," she whimpered as she turned her back on him and disappeared into her home.

When she was gone, Sabre's father lumbered up to Certo and waved his paw in front of him.

"Now go on! Shoo! We don't need your kind around here!"

"Stay away from our daughter!" Sabre's mother hissed, sending particles of ice into the air.

"You may even be wise to stay away from our city entirely." Her mate added. "We have lived in peace for countless generations and we want to keep it that way." He lowered his head towards Certo who only continued to glare at him. "We know about all about you, black dragon. We know why you're really here. But mark my words, you will not have your way with our way of life. You would be doing every dragon a favor by simply disappearing completely."

Certo's claws dug into the stone as he felt the rage building up inside of him. He so desperately wanted to shut this adult up, permanently. However, his kindling friendship with Sabre and her friends made him refrain from doing so.

Sabre's father gave a gruff snort and raised a massive paw to knock Certo out of the way when the sound of rattling reached his ear drums. The ice dragon looked down to see Certo's tail blade rattling anxiously against the stones in the street.

"Are you openly challenging me, young dragon?" He bellowed and moved closer to the black dragon.

Certo curled his lip and gave a sharp turn away, turning his back to the elder. A gust of wind blew dirt into the ice dragon's face, causing him to growl in irritation. Sabre's father rubbed the dirt from his eyes and glared at Certo who was walking away, swaying his tail blade in wide arcs as a display of his defiance. The ice dragon snarled loudly and was about to pounce on the young dragon when his mate jumped in front of him.

"No!" She urged, pushing him back. "Don't do it!"

"What are you doing? Why are you stopping me? You know perfectly well what that menace is going to do!"

Sabre's mother looked back at Certo as a chill ran down her spine. She could not explain in proper terms what made her halt her husband's rampage, but something about Certo had suddenly frightened her.

As he walked away, Certo began to feel his temper subside. He sighed sadly to himself and shook his head. "I don't know how he did it for so long." He muttered. Just then he felt his body begin to burn, like it was on fire. Certo's crimson eye suddenly began to glow with red-hot energy. The black dragon groaned and clutched at his scarred eye. After a moment of throbbing pain, the burning went away, leaving the young dragon confused.

"I think I need to rest." He groaned and headed back towards his foster home, unaware that what had just happened would forever change his relationship with Sabre.

The next day Sabre was not in class. When Ulu and the others inquired with Certo as to where she was their only answer was a shrug.

The four friends sat anxiously through the morning lesson. Master Kia was making their final flight exam the waltz which Certo had come up with. Normally they would have been excited, but with their friend missing, all the girls could do was wait for their instructor to release them for midday break.

As soon as the lesson was over the four of them took off as fast as they could towards Sabre's home. The girls landed on the window sill of Sabre's bedroom chamber and poked their heads inside.

"Sabre? Are you in there?" Katana whispered, not sure if there were any adults home or not.

"Katana?" Sabre lifted her head from her bed in the far corner of the room. Normally she slept in the center, but now she had dragged all her cushions and blankets to the corner, away from everything else.

The four friends hopped down from the window sill and walked over to her. Sabre's eyes were red and puffy from crying all night and her voice was hoarse from screaming.

"Sabre, what happened? You're a wreck!" Kris shook her head in dismay.

"Did Certo do something to you when he took you home?" Vixen asked, trying not to sound accusing but not ruling out the possibility.

"No," Sabre whimpered. She placed her head on her paws as her friends gathered around her. "It's my stupid parents. They hate Certo. They say he's a bringer of death and that he's going to destroy our whole way of life and all this other crap."

"What?" The girls gasped and looked at one another.

"Where would your mom and dad get such a lame-brained idea like that from?" Katana asked, almost insulted from what her friend's parents had said.

Sabre shrugged. "I don't know! They won't tell me anything! They just keep going on how I need to stay away from Certo! And that it's for my own good!" Sabre began to cry once again. "I hate them so much right now!"

"Sabre," Ulu placed a comforting paw on her shoulder. "Calm down. I'm sure they're just overreacting. Everyone knows Certo's a feral dragon, so obviously they're a bit weary."

"But to call Certo the bringer of death is...is..." Sabre began to bawl again, burying her face into her blankets and pillows.

"It's really unfair," Vixen hissed, smoke billowing from her nostrils.

"And to keep you away from school, and so close to final exams?" Kris shook her head in disgust. "That's not fair at all!"

"I know," Sabre nodded. "Dad doesn't want me going to the academy if Certo is going to be there."

"That's stupid!" Katana shook her head. "That's so selfish on their part just because of their stupid beliefs!"

"Like I said," Sabre growled. "I hate them!"

"Don't talk like that!" Ulu scolded. "Don't ever talk about your parents like that! They'll see the truth soon enough, I'm sure. And then they'll be the ones apologizing to you rather than you apologizing for saying such things to them."

Sabre sighed and buried her face into her pillows. Her friends stared at each other solemnly before engaging in a big group hug.

"You'll pass the course. You'll see," Kris whispered.

"Yeah," Vixen nuzzled her friend. "We won't let you be held back."

"Thank you," Sabre murmured. "Thank you all."

The afternoon seemed to drag on for the four girls. Crona noticed the way they continually made side glances at Certo between taking notes and reading. The white dragoness only shook her head and continued with her own business.

At last when Kia released her students for the day, the girls caught up to Certo out on the platform outside the classroom. Vixen and Katana only smiled politely before taking off towards Sabre's place again. Certo watched them go before turning to Ulu and Kris.

"They're going to help Sabre study for the exams," Kris explained. "Meanwhile we'll be the ones help you."

"That won't be necessary." Certo shook his head.

Both girls cocked their heads slightly. "What do you mean?"

Certo moved his body so that he was standing tall in front of the girls. He was at his full height now, his long neck craning down at them. To the girls he looked like a heroic figure before them. He was even more confident now than he ever had been to them.

"I mean that I plan to study on my own for the remaining two days."

"What? Why?" Kris asked, looking rather hurt all of a sudden.

"Just because," Certo muttered.

"Just because what?" Kris pressed. "Just because of what happened with Sabre?" Crona, Amp and Terra were passing by and turned their heads curiously.

"Partly," Certo nodded.

"So what's the other part?" Ulu asked sitting on her haunches, making it clear she would not leave until she got a good explanation.

Certo sighed. "This so-called exam requires me to pass it on my own. All of you have been helping me a lot, and I want these last couple days to test myself to see if I really have what it takes to pass your stupid exam."

Ulu smiled and nodded respectfully. "I can admire and respect that."

"Ulu!" Kris snapped but Certo stepped between them.

"I'm grateful for all the help you've given me. I really am." Certo gave Kris a gentle nudge against her snout as if she were a little sister.

"And it's probably best we don't baby you through it either," Ulu added. Certo's cheeks flushed but he nodded none the less. Ulu walked over and nuzzled Certo under his chin. "I think you'll do fine," She whispered. "Just stay focused and I know you'll pass the exam." She stepped away and stared Certo into his crimson eye. It seemed like it was darker than normal; almost sad.

Ulu and Kris turned towards the edge of the platform. "Good luck Certo," Ulu gave him a wink before diving off and gliding over the city.

Kris waited for Ulu to get a little distance before turning back to face Certo. She quickly sauntered over to the black dragon and kissed his cheek, before turning away embarrassed. "For what it's worth to you Certo," She murmured as she looked away from him. She paused before glancing back over her shoulder. "I believe you have what it takes." And with that she dove off the platform and hurried after Ulu.

When Kris caught up to the lightning dragoness, her friend glanced over with a faint smile.

"Are you okay?" Ulu asked, a slight crack in her voice.

Kris gave a slight smile and nodded. "I think so." When Ulu turned back around, Kris wiped a single tear away from her eye and smiled to herself.

Back at the academy, Certo watched the girls disappear into the lower levels of the city. He gave a low sigh and the wind howled in unison. Amp walked over to and placed a paw on his friend's shoulder.

"Hey Certo, are okay? You look like you lost a group of girlfriends there."

"Amp!" Terra scolded sharply.

Certo paid no attention to the remark. "More like more sisters," He muttered darkly before turning away. He glanced at Crona who could only stare at him inquisitively. There was something different about him right now; but the dragoness could not quite place her finger on what it was exactly.

"By the way, what was it they were saying about Sabre?" Terra spoke up.

Certo paused for a moment. "Nothing," He replied in a near whisper. "Nothing at all."

The remaining two days went by in a blur. The morning was spent watching the young dragons perform the aerial waltz either as an individual or a pair. Terra and Amp chose to work as a pair but more of the other students chose to perform alone. Even the girls who had been tutoring Certo were too shy to ask him to be their partner; but the black dragon did not complain.

Sabre had snuck out of her house to take the final exams, hoping that her parents would not find out about her disappearance until after the exams were over. So far there had been no altercations.

Before Certo knew it, the morning exam was over and he was back in the classroom, sitting quietly, waiting for Master Kia to start the written exam.

"Your written exam will be an essay." Kia announced; pacing around the room, making sure the students had all their writing materials. "I want you to describe to me what you have learned while under my instruction and what you think was the most valuable to your growth and development." She stopped pacing at the front of the room and looked at the numerous sets of eyes staring at her. "Are there any questions?" The students remained silent. Kia's eyes moved to Certo who only wore the same stern look she had grown so accustomed to. She bobbed her head slightly before speaking. "Then you may begin."

The young dragons immediately began to write on the scrolls before them. As usual, Crona finished in a matter of minutes. She had written out several lengths of scroll and had presented it to Kia just shortly after the ink had dried. As soon as she was done, Kia excused Crona with a warm smile. Crona failed to notice as she walked away towards the curtain leading to the flight platform. She glanced over at Certo who had barely so much as picked up his ink brush. The black dragon seemed to sense the white dragoness's eyes on him and turned to look at her. Crona could only look at him silently; this was his battle, and he would have to fight it on his own like he wanted.

Crona sighed and ducked behind the curtain. Certo turned his attention away from the curtain, and his eyes fell on Ulu and Vixen who were sitting close by, Neither noticed the older dragon's stare as they continued to write out their essays. After a moment's thought Certo dipped his ink brush into his well and began to write.

One by one, the young dragons finished their writing. Before long, the room was empty except for Certo and Kia. The air guardian sat patiently as she waited for Certo to finish. An hour passed before the black dragon put away his brush. He was about to roll his scroll up when Kia walked over to him and stared at his hand writing. Certo waited patiently for Kia to read over what he had written out. Kia's eyes moved across the paper, carefully taking everything in as it came up on the sheet. At last she let out a sigh and placed a large paw on Certo's head.

"That was very sweet and very personal." She said with a smile. Certo only continued to stare blankly at his essay. "Congratulations Certo. You've passed my course." The black dragon looked up at her in surprise. Kia smiled as she read the confused look on his face. "I know what you're thinking, but I wanted to grade your first so as not to keep you wondering about how good or bad you might have done." The guardian draped a wing around the young dragon and hugged him close, as if he were her offspring. "I'm very proud of you Certo. You've overcome a major hurdle and you did it better than anyone could have asked for."

Certo only looked down at the floor. He was still not used to being praised this much by others. Kia sensed his mild embarrassment and withdrew her wing. "Go home Certo. I want you to do something special with those you care about. You've earned it." Kia gave him a gentle scoot towards the flight platform and Certo stopped to stare at her for a moment.

"Thank you," He whispered into the wind so that only Kia could hear. The guardian smiled proudly and bobbed her head. Certo ducked under the curtain and into the late afternoon sun.

"So how'd you do?" Crona asked, causing Certo to jump. He had not been expecting her, along with Terra and Amp to be waiting for him.

"Sounds to me like he's passed the course." Amp grinned excitedly. "Right?"

Certo nodded once.

"Congratulations!" Terra cheered and grabbed Certo up in a hug. Immediately the black dragon's face began to burn with embarrassment. "We're so happy for you!"

"I say we go out and celebrate!" Amp suggested, anxiously jumping up and down. He glanced over at the white dragoness. "Wouldn't you say this calls for a celebration, Crona?"

Crona looked at Amp in surprise, then to Certo, who was staring at her silently. "It would have to be up to Certo. But I do think that after such an achievement, he deserves some sort of reward."

Terra smiled, thankful that her friend had not decided to turn this joyous occasion into another argument. "What do you say Certo? You up for a little party or celebration?"

The black dragon stared at Terra for a long moment then glanced at Crona. "I have something to take care of first," He replied and moved towards the edge of the platform. "I probably won't be back until after it gets dark though."

"We can wait." Amp smirked. Certo bobbed his head again before diving off the platform and gliding off towards the forest beyond the city walls.

As per his words, Certo did not return to his foster home until an hour after it was nighttime. When he got there, Amp and Terra greeted him with a delighted cheer. Even Thundra and Nitrus were awake to congratulate him, though Nitrus still remained silent for the most part. Certo paid the ice guardian little attention as his thoughts were drawn to the others, giving him compliments and praise for a job well done.

Crona sat off to the side and watched as Amp and Maya proceeded to play around with the uninterested black dragon. Terra took the time to sit down and watch as her family enjoyed the cheerful moment.

"Are you glad Certo was able to pass?" Terra asked quietly.

"I guess," Crona muttered, trying her best to appear as uninterested as Certo. "That was a major accomplishment for him."

"Yeah," Terra nodded. "Who would have thought he had what it took to succeed this much?"

Crona only stared at the black dragon as Maya pounced on his back. "Who would have thought," She pondered to herself.

The next morning when Vixen, Katana, Kris, Ulu and Sabre awoke, they found a single piece of paper sitting in front of their noses. Each young dragoness had a different wildflower picked especially for them and the same two word message on each sheet of paper.

Thank you.


	14. Chapter 14

"Tell me again, what's the point of this?" Crona asked, giving an exasperated sigh. It was the following week after the final exams. The young dragons had all passed their courses with flying colors and were eagerly awaiting to be moved up to the next level of their training. But before they could be moved up to the next level, the young dragons had a public event to attend.

"Consider it a reward of some sort." Cryus smiled as he walked alongside the white dragoness. The two of them had been busily gathering wildflowers from the gardens and meadows beyond the dragon city all day. Both wore a harness with a basket on each side which they could transport the flowers in.

"A simple pat on the back would be reward enough," Crona mumbled. "But to throw a ball, that just seems a bit out of the norm."

"Not at all." Cryus shook his head. "We have these events at least twice a year, if not more."

"And that's just for us passing our classes?" Crona raised a skeptical brow.

"Pretty much." Cryus nodded. "They're actually a lot of fun." The water dragon gazed at Crona out of the corner of his eye. "That is if you have someone to go with."

Crona's wings ruffled slightly but she pretended to not hear the last part of the guardian's comment. As the two entered the main courtyard, they found the grounds to be even busier than when they had left. Dragons of all ages and sizes hustled back and forth bringing food and decorations while trying to give directions to one another about where everything went.

"There you are," Terra called out when she saw Crona and Cryus return. " We were just hoping to catch you right about now."

"Of course," Cryus nodded with a smile. "What did you need us for?"

"The banquet is going to be held over in the North West corner of the courtyard." Terra pointed a talon to a large row of baskets, containing various overripe fruits. "We need someone to help decorate the area so it doesn't just look like a bundle of food."

"Can do." Cryus saluted. "Come on Crona." The white dragoness only rolled her eyes and followed after him.

"Do you think that Crona likes Cryus more than Certo?" Amp whispered.

"I doubt it." Terra shook her head. "I'm certain that this ball we're having will get her to realize her feelings for Certo."

"Do you honestly believe that?" Amp raised a skeptical brow. He was still not completely sold on the idea that Crona supposedly liked Certo.

"I think so." Terra nodded thoughtfully. "But I suppose we'll find out later tonight." She stared across the yard to see Certo along with Vixen, Katana, Kris, Ulu and Sabre all working together to hang up the lanterns that would line the perimeter of the academy. The girls were excited to be around the black dragon as usual, but Sabre seemed to be keeping a weary eye out for anyone who may report her to her parents. Certo was busy hovering in the air, lifting the string of lanterns up as Vixen proceeded to light each wick. "Now my conundrum is how to get those five away from Certo so that he and Crona can spend the evening together."

Amp nearly laughed out loud. "Good luck with that."

"Oh, you're going to help, believe me." Terra gave him a devilish grin. The smirk disappeared from Amp's face.

"Oh, great."

"We'll see you later tonight, Certo!" Vixen and the girls called as they left the academy for the afternoon. The black dragon only watched them leave with a blank stare on his face. Once they were out of sight he shook his head and headed for Terra and Amp's home. As he walked away, Terra and Amp followed after the girls, making sure Certo did not spot them. Vixen and the others were busy giggling to themselves when Terra and Amp caught up to them.

"Hey you two." Ulu smiled once the couple had joined their group. "What are you doing way out here? I thought your home was on the other side of the city."

"Of course it is." Terra laughed. "We're just here on business."

"Business?" The girls chimed in together.

"Like what?" Katana asked curiously.

"It involves Certo," Amp muttered.

"Oh?"

"Yeah," Terra nodded. "We have reason to believe that Crona really does like Certo."

"What? No way!" Vixen laughed with a dismissive wave of her paw. "That stuck up dragoness?"

"I know what you're thinking," Terra held her paw up to silence any more accusations. "But hear me out. We've been watching Crona and Certo for a while and there are just certain things we've seen to believe that the way she acts towards him is just a facade."

"Is that so?" Kris turned and sat on her haunches to listen. "Like what?"

"Well," Terra scratched her chin nervously. "If you remember when Certo somehow got that injury on his hind leg, Crona volunteered to help take care of him." Amp glanced over at his mate, who continued to keep a straight face. "And you remember the outburst she gave when you five were all over him right?"

"How could we forget?" Sabre rolled her eyes.

"Well, if she didn't like Certo in the slightest then she would have just let it pass. Don't you agree?"

"She does have a point there." Ulu nodded to her friends. "Maybe Crona really does like Certo but she's not very good at making her feelings known."

"I knew it!" Vixen snapped. "I knew she was jealous of us!"

"No you didn't." Kris laughed. "You just guessed."

"But I was still right, wasn't I?"

"Okay, but still," Terra grabbed their attention before the argument could proceed any further. "We need your help if we're going to get those two together at all tonight."

"At the ball?" Ulu's brows jumped.

"Yes." Terra nodded. "We need you guys to make sure Certo and Crona see each other. Alone."

"That shouldn't be too hard." Katana giggled.

"The only problem is getting them together." Ulu sighed. Certo does strike me as having a stubborn streak but Crona seems even worse."

"You have no idea," Terra pondered to herself.

"So what's the plan going to be?" Vixen sat down as well and began to fidget in anticipation.

Terra smiled slyly. "Alright girls, listen up."

As Terra went on to explain her plan, she failed to realize that a pair of dragons were watching them from a nearby alley.

"I what!?" Crona gasped in astonishment. It was late afternoon, moving on to the evening. The sun was already beginning to set in the distance and the decorated lanterns could be clearly seen up at the academy.

"You have to attend," Terra repeated. "It's mandatory."

"What? Says who?" Crona huffed.

"It's one of those things that are just expected of the students." Terra shrugged casually. "We're all expected to attend. It's supposed to be a social event so we're all required to be social."

"That's stupid!" Crona nearly spat.

"Oh, come on, Crona," Terra smiled and gave her a playful bump with her hips. "It might be fun if you give it a try."

Crona thought back to the times she had visited Warfang during the guardian inaugurations. "Thought about it. Not interested," She grumbled.

"Oh, stop being such a sour puss." Terra stuck her nose up and pranced about in front of her. "You're going and that's final."

"You make it sound like I was trying to get out of it." Crona narrowed her eyes at the grey dragoness.

"Technically you were." Terra smirked. "Come on, we need to get you prettied up."

"Excuse me?" Crona raised a brow. "I don't do the whole dress up bit."

"Well you sure aren't going in your usual attire." Terra pointed a talon at Crona's breast plate. "It's a special event. You should wear something you don't usually get to."

"Like what?" Crona demanded, pointing to her breast plate. "I wear this all the time. It's not exactly informal."

"True." Terra nodded, tapping her chin with her talon as she thought to herself. After a long moment an idea popped into her mind. "Aha! I've got it!" She exclaimed with a wide grin. Crona's eyes locked with the ice dragoness's and she felt her stomach churn.

"Uh oh," she thought to herself.

Certo stood over in the corner of the academy courtyard with Amp standing next to him. The young lightning dragon was anxiously looking around the crowd of dragons trying to spot his mate. The young guardian had convinced Certo to come with him to the ball and help supervise if he did not wish to take part in the festivities. The black dragon had agreed, but rather reluctantly.

"Where is she?" Amp grumbled to himself as he continued to scan the crowd for Terra. Certo glanced at him for a moment before closing his eyes. A gentle wind blew across the academy and through the dragon city. After he locked onto the ice dragoness, Certo opened his eyes.

"She just arrived," He muttered. "And it looks like she brought along the know-it-all snow queen."

"Oh?" Amp raised a brow, pretending to act surprised. "I never would have thought Crona would be the type to show up to an event like this."

"That makes two of us," Certo thought as he stared inquisitively at the young dragon.

"Well, if you don't need me here, I'm going to go have some fun with my honey." Amp bowed slightly, excusing himself. "If you need anything don't hesitate to go for it."

"And what is that supposed to mean?" Certo asked, narrowing his eyes at Amp.

"Uh, don't worry about it." Amp waved nervously. "You'll do fine. Just don't be afraid of having a little fun." The young dragon disappeared into the crowd, leaving Certo in a puzzled state.

As he made his way through the crowd of schoolmates, Amp bumped into Sabre and Katana.

"Hey you two. Terra and Crona just showed up."

"That's good and all but I think we have a problem." Katana said shakily.

"Uh oh," Amp's eyes grew wide. "What's wrong?"

"Look," Sabre pointed across the courtyard and Amp's jaw dropped.

"Aw crap." He groaned. On the other side of the courtyard, he could see the hulking mass that was Titanus. As usual, he had his little posse trailing along behind him, making eyes at the girls nearby, only to get turned away with disgusted huffs.

"What do we do?" Sabre asked, almost frightened by the sight of the bully.

"Wait here," Amp ordered. "Don't let him out of your sight." He disappeared into the crowd again searching frantically for Terra. At last he caught her scent and forced his way over to her.

"Amp, there you are." The grey dragoness smiled. She was wearing a flower tied to a ribbon around her ankle and Amp found himself slightly lost in her beauty.

"Wow," he gasped. Terra blushed when their eyes met. "You look gorgeous."

Terra giggled and gave him a flirty wink. "You're looking pretty good yourself there, stud. Where's Certo hanging about?"

Amp's attention snapped back to reality. "Oh, uh... about that."

Terra's smile disappeared. "What's wrong? Did he disappear somewhere?"

"No, not yet anyways." Amp gritted his teeth and looked back over his shoulder. "But we do have a problem. A big one."

"How big?" Terra asked looking around. It was then she caught sight of Titanus. "Oh, that big."

"Yeah," Amp cringed. "Did you know he was going to be here?"

"No, I didn't." Terra shook her head. "I thought he wasn't going to show considering he wasn't around to help with preparations."

"Damn it," Amp cursed, digging his claws into the ground. "He must have had his cronies keeping a look out for Crona."

Terra looked her mate in the eye worriedly. "Amp, we can't let him near Crona. He'll ruin our entire operation."

"I know, I know," Amp hissed. "But what do we do? We can't exactly convince him to move along now."

"Terra! Amp!" The couple turned to see Katana and Sabre hurrying towards them. "We just spoke to Ulu. She says Vixen and Kris have Cryus occupied at the other end of the courtyard. Seems like they've got things under control over there." Across the courtyard, Vixen and Kris nearly had Cryus pinned against a wall, making very flirty gestures towards him, doing everything femininely possible to keep the young guardian distracted. Cryus considered himself a gentleman but even these girls were pushing his libido to the limits.

"So that just leaves out big tub of lard there," Terra growled, glaring at Titanus who was busy scanning the crowd for Crona. "How are we supposed to get Crona and Certo to notice each other with him in the way?"

"Wait, that's it!" Amp exclaimed. "I'll be right back."

Crona sat at the edge of the crowd, her cheeks burning with embarrassment. "Darn it all, why me of all dragons?" Several young males made side glances at her as they walked by, several with their female escorts slapped the males with their tail spades to straighten them out. Crona only pretended to smile as each male eyed her keenly. Terra had grabbed a red satin cloth from her family's storage and tied it into a very attractive bow around Crona's neck.

"I feel totally ridiculous wearing this." The white dragoness grumbled to herself, "So what if I look pretty. Who really cares around here? Cryus maybe, but that's about it."

"Well don't say that now," a gruff voice interrupted her private conversation. "I think you look just as hot with or without that bow." Crona turned her head and her eyes grew wide.

"You," she hissed and backed away only to bump into one of Titanus's goons. The young male snickered and shoved her closer to the blue fire breather.

"So you did miss me." Titanus smirked. "I've been looking for you for a long time, babe."

Crona's lip curled. "You did not just call me babe."

"Oh, I can call you whatever your heart desires, hot stuff." Titanus leaned his head down close to Crona's. "What do you say we go dance for a bit before we get out of here for a little private time."

Crona felt her temper rise. She wanted to incinerate this smug, self-centered dragon where he stood but she was unable to summon her magic with this many bystanders around.

"How about we don't." She spat in his face. "Besides, I'm not here for you!"

Titanus recoiled when the saliva hit his snout. "Oh really? Then who are you here with?" Crona had had enough. She waved her paw dismissively stopping time completely.

"Damn it Terra. This is all your fault," Crona growled to herself. She began to make her way through the cluster of time-frozen bodies until she spotted two familiar faces. Just ahead, Amp was leading Certo over in her direction. The black dragon looked about as dumb as Crona usually viewed him, but after a quick glance over her shoulder at Titanus, she began to rethink her opinion of him. "It's a long shot." She thought to herself. Crona took a deep breath before releasing her hold on time. She swiftly marched over to Certo and Amp and grabbed Certo in the crook of her wing before dragging him off.

"Hey!" Certo exclaimed in surprise at being grappled away.

"Excuse us Amp, I need this idiot for a moment," Crona called over her shoulder, leaving the young dragon in a state of bewilderment.

"Where the heck did you come from?" Certo demanded, shoving the dragoness's wing away. "What do you think you're doing?"

"Will you shut up and stop drawing attention to us?" Crona hissed ducking low. "Follow me and I'll explain everything."

"What's the big idea?" Certo growled as he followed Crona through the crowd of dragons.

"I need your help with something, that's what."

"Like what? And since when have you ever needed my help to begin with?"

"Look, I don't like it any more than you do, Darky. But right now I have a big thorn in my tail and its name is Titanus."

Certo stopped and stiffened. "Titanus? He's here?" Crona pulled his head close and pointed through the masses of dragons. On the opposite side of the yard Certo spotted the hulking dragon looking around in confusion. "Okay, so Titanus is here. Why are you coming to me?"

"Because he wants to dance, that's why."

"So what? At least he's not trying to..."

"He even added that to the end of it. Believe me," Crona growled staring at her talons.

"Never mind then." Certo rolled his eyes. "But why do you want my help?"

"Because you're here and you're convenient," Crona stated bluntly.

"Gee, thanks. That makes me feel a whole lot better."

"Look on the bright side," Crona smirked at the black dragon. "At least I hate you less than I do Titanus."

"Will you just tell me what you want me to do, already!"

"Just dance with me." Crona spat without even thinking. "Make it look like we're here together."

Certo's cheeks burned deep red. "Like... we're a couple?"

Now it was Crona's turn to blush. "If it means keeping that scum bag away from me, I suppose I can live with it." She looked up into Certo's eyes, his crimson one almost glowing in the lantern light. "But I'm not going to enjoy it."

"That I can agree to." Certo nodded.

"Then let's get this over with." Crona ordered in a low hiss before wrapping her tail around Certo's neck and dragging him to the middle of the crowd.

"Do you mind?" Certo growled, trying to pull against her.

"Not at all, if it makes you uncomfortable." Crona snickered. Once in the middle of the courtyard she hunkered down below the vision of the other dragons around them. "As soon as the next dance begins we're going to start. Got it?"

"Yeah," Certo nodded. "You know what kind of dance we're going to do right?"

"Um," Crona suddenly wore a blank stare on her face. She had been so busy trying to come up with a plan to get away from Titanus that she had completely forgotten the fact that she had never danced before in her life, let alone with a partner.

Certo rolled his eyes. "For being such a smart girl you sure can be narrow minded sometimes."

"Shut up!" Crona hissed.

"No, you shut up. And follow my lead." Certo ordered. By now the draconic symphony was beginning to switch numbers. The tempo of the music slowed down and soon, many of the couples began to enter into the dancing circle as well.

"It's now or never, Certo," Crona hissed, glancing over at Titanus who was still scanning the sea of bodies for her.

Certo nodded and began to circle Crona. The dragoness paused for a moment, confused as to what he was doing. After a moment Crona realized the path Certo was walking and mirrored his movements, step by step. Certo extended his wing out to Crona who in turned extended hers as well.

"Amp," Terra called as she hurried over to her mate. "Where were you?"

"I had Certo," Amp explained. "But Crona just sort of appeared out of nowhere and grabbed him away from me."

"Crona grabbed Certo?" Terra's brows jumped.

"Yeah. She said she needed to borrow this idiot and then she was gone."

Terra stood speechless for a long moment. "Well, I guess it's not quite what we were hoping for but it's a start."

"Terra, Amp! Come quick!" Ulu called through the crowd, ushering both dragons to follow her. The couple hurried after the lightning dragoness until they were at the edge of the dancing circle. It took them a moment to see what Ulu was pointing at but when they did their jaws dropped.

Certo and Crona continued to circle each other with their wing tips touching. Certo moved to face Crona and the two began to side-step in unison. All around the other dragons were watching in awe and amazement at the couple performing their waltz.

"Certo, everyone's staring at us," Crona muttered through her teeth.

"Deal with it. Just keep following my lead," Certo growled back before beginning his head bobbing. Crona followed and extended her other wing tip towards Certo. The two began to weave, bob and sway to the soothing music.

Off to the side, Vixen and the others all watched with excited grins on their faces. "Look, it worked," Kris whispered excitedly.

"What? What worked?" Cryus asked, joining them to see what everyone else was staring at. He spotted Crona and Certo out in the middle of the crowd, now rearing up on their hind legs and placing their front paws together. The two continued to side step in a circle, swaying with one another, supporting each other so that the other would not lose balance.

Certo and Crona continued to sway and press their chests together before reversing direction. All the while they continued to stare into each other's eyes, reading the other one's movements. Certo gave a gentle push to spin himself and Crona around on their hind legs before turning back to one another with their wings spread wide.

At the edge of the crowd, Master Kia watched with wide eyes as her two students performed their waltz together in perfect harmony. As Certo and Crona began to lift off the ground, they continued to circle one another in wide sweeping arcs. Kia smiled to herself and made a mental note. "I think we'll call it, The Dance of Lovers," she thought to herself.

The two young dragons continued to cross flight paths as they ascended high into the sky over the academy.

"You ready for this?" Certo asked over his shoulder.

"Ready for what?" Crona raised a skeptical brow. Then she remembered the next part of the waltz. "Oh, right. I..." Before she knew it, Certo took hold of her front paws in his. Crona squeaked in surprise as the black dragon plummeted towards the ground. "Certo..."

"Trust me!"

Crona watched as the ground rushed up to meet them. Certo's claws were intertwined with her talons, making it hard for her to jerk away if she wanted to. "Certo..."

"Almost," he replied. A split second later he released her and both dragons spread their wings, shooting over the heads of their fellow citizens and classmates. The crowd gasped in amazement as they watched the two dragons climb back into the sky to meet once again at the top of their arc. Certo extended his wing tip to Crona again and the two began to glide down in a tight spiral.

Down below Titanus was twitching in an angry rage. Certo spotted the big blue dragon and smiled to himself. He glanced over at Crona, who was busy taking in the sight of the dragons below all staring up at her in admiration.

"Hey Crona," Certo whispered, grabbing her attention. He leaned in close and his smirk grew even wider. "You know what I think would make Titanus really pissed off?" Crona looked down to see the bully trembling with rage.

"I'm listening." Crona snickered.

The two dragons landed in the ground and were immediately applauded by the crowd of dragons. A roar of approval went up from the spectators, causing Crona and Certo both to blush. They looked at each other for a moment, then to Titanus who was starting to push his way through the sea of bodies. Crona nuzzled Certo and began to walk away with her tail wrapped around his neck again, pulling him along. Crona made her way easily through the crowd before disappearing into the academy gardens with Certo close behind.

Titanus growled angrily as he shoved some of the younger dragons out of his way. He had just about neared the edge of the courtyard when he found his path blocked by a pale green dragoness.

"Get out of my way!" He snapped angrily.

"Watch your tongue young dragon!" Kia snapped back, the wind hissing around them. "You do not use such language around us guardians."

Titanus froze for a second before glaring daggers at the guardian of air. "You had best watch your mouth with me, lady. Otherwise I'll have my grandfather expel you from this academy. And that's if you're extremely lucky."

"You don't scare me with your empty threats," Kia hissed, baring her shining white teeth. "The headmaster may do whatever he wants to me. But mark my words I will not let you near those two so long as I'm around to do anything about it."

Titanus growled and blue flames began to lick at the edges of his mouth. His group of cronies shrank back in fright; both from their leader and their former instructor.

Kia only scoffed and gave a dismissive wave of her paw. The flames immediately disappeared leaving Titanus with a mouth full of smoke. The blue dragon coughed hard and tried to regain his wind, but the guardian had snuffed out his fire completely.

"This is the only warning you will receive from me." Kia lowered her snout until it was level with Titanus's. "Leave those two alone. Or I promise you, you will regret it." The pale green dragoness gave a curt turn to walk away. As she did, her split tails snapped across Titanus's snout causing him to sneeze loudly.

"Stupid bitch," He grumbled to himself through watery eyes.

Back in the gardens, Certo and Crona walked to the edge of the flower beds that looked over the horizon beyond the city. The two of them sat down together laughing at their little plan.

"I can only imagine how pissed that blue blunder ball is right now." Certo laughed.

"Yeah," Crona giggled. "He must be pretty steamed right now." She wiped a tear away from her eye and tried to settle herself down. "That was a good idea; walking away like that."

Certo turned to look the dragoness in the eyes. Her sky blue orbs seemed to shine like polished gems in the moonlight. He had never really taken notice of her eyes before then, but now they seemed different. Almost happy. "Thanks." Certo bobbed his head with a slight smile.

"You're welcome." Crona nodded without even thinking about it. For a long moment they both stared at one another. There was a slight chill in the gardens now that they were away from everyone else. Neither dragon realized how close they were sitting to one another until Certo glanced back over his shoulder.

"You think he's still watching us?"

"I don't know," Crona replied glancing back into the darkness of the gardens. "So what if he is?"

"I say we put the final touch on tonight's little function."

Crona raised a suspicious brow. "What do you mean?" Without answering, Certo brought his wing up to drape it over Crona's shoulders. Crona was about to protest, but when she noticed the chill had all but vanished she restrained herself. "I can deal with this." She nodded silently. She shot Certo a quick glance before staring up at the vast multitude of stars overhead. "It sure is beautiful tonight," She thought to herself.

Titanus lumbered through the dark halls of the academy. His gang had long since left him by his command. The blue fire breather snarled angrily as he stomped about the long corridors.

"I swear that black dragon will regret the day he decided to steal what's rightfully mine."

"Still blindly arrogant as always I see," A voice came from behind. Titanus whirled around, his long spikes scraping against the stone walls.

"Who goes there!? Show yourself before you get roasted!"

"Testy, testy." Tectonica shook her head as she rounded the corner. "It's a wonder where you get it from. Your grandfather is nowhere near as irritable as you are."

"What's your point, guardian!?" Titanus snarled, spreading his wings in defiance.

Tectonica smiled as she moved closer to the fire breather. "My point is, that if you want something, you have to be patient for it."

"I've never needed patience for anything!" Titanus nipped at the earth guardian. "If I want something, it's delivered to me immediately, right when I want it! End of story!" He turned his back on Tectonica and started to walk away.

"Well in case you haven't noticed, you need to have patience when dealing with those two. Especially the dark one." Titanus continued to walk away. "You want the black dragon gone, do you not?" The blue dragon stopped in mid-stride. Tectonica smiled when she saw she had hit the note she sought. Titanus slowly turned around to face her.

"What does me wanting to be rid of that feral vermin have to do with anything?"

"Because I want him gone too," Tectonica whispered, leaning her snout close to Titanus's. "And if you want him gone that much, I can make it happen."

"How!?" Titanus demanded, taking a bold step towards the guardian. Tectonica reared up her hind legs and struck Titanus with her front paws. The blue dragon's head slammed against the wall and he coughed as the earth dragoness pressed her heavy paw against his throat. Titanus glared daggers at the guardian of earth as she leaned her face closer to his.

"If you follow my exact instructions, we can rid our city of that filth and save us all from being destroyed." She released the young male and looked him square in the eye. Tectonica lowered her head and opened her jaws so that her tongue could slip out of her mouth and drag along the young male's chin. The fire breather immediately felt the blood rush through his system like it were on fire. Tectonica smiled, seeing that she had gotten his full attention. "Now are you going to cooperate, or not?"

Titanus looked into the dragoness's emerald eyes for a long, silent moment. His entire body felt hot from just that one little gesture. The longer he stared at the guardian, the longer he wished for her to be the little white dragoness he so lusted for. And with that thought came the image of the black dragon who had deliberately denied him his prize. Angry plumes of smoke jetted from the blue dragon's nostrils.

"I'm in."


	15. Chapter 15

"I think I'm getting it!" Certo cheered as he dodged another gust from Neros. The black dragon weaved out of the way and sucked in a deep breath before releasing another blast at his twin.

"Good!" Neros called, countering the gust with his own. "Now don't forget to keep your blind spot covered!"

"My blind spot?" Certo paused, giving Neros the chance he needed to charge in. Certo felt the sudden movement in the air and moved to avoid his brother. Neros surrounded himself in a wind current and banked for Certo. The black dragon beat his wings once, dispersing the wind entirely. A moment later Neros slammed into Certo. "What the!" Certo opened his eyes and tried to knock his brother back. Neros laughed and hugged his brother close to keep from being kicked off. Just before the two of them hit the ground, Neros released Certo and gave a hard flap, propelling himself backwards and creating a cushion of air to soften the fall for his brother.

"You lost focus," Neros said as he landed in front of his twin.

"I know, I know," Certo grumbled. "I got distracted by that whole blind spot bit."

"So I noticed." Neros smirked. "That was just a ploy to get you to lower your guard."

"Cheap."

"No, smart." Neros snickered, poking Certo in the chest with a claw. "You even said so yourself, it doesn't matter how you win, just that you do."

"I didn't say that," Certo snapped. "Ebony did."

"But you still follow that same rule."

"I keep it in mind," Certo corrected. "I don't try to use dirty tactics to win. I'd rather win with my own skills rather than use underhanded techniques."

Neros only shook his head. "See, that's where you're wrong Certo. You have this whole one-track minded thought process when it comes to life. You put others before yourself."

"What are you saying?" Certo raised a brow. "Are you telling me you don't want me to make sure you get a fair cut in everything? The family tries to leave you out of everything. I don't like that they do, so I try and make sure you get included whenever possible."

"I know, and I appreciate it." Neros nodded, nuzzling his brother. "I really do. But a lot of times I worry that you're setting yourself up for failure by making sure I don't fail."

"I'll be okay, don't you worry." Certo smiled and draped a wing over his brother's back. "When we get older we'll both be able to take on the world together. If one of us falls the other will have the other's back." Certo held up his tail blade to Neros who looked at it skeptically. "Deal?"

Neros smiled and raised his tail blade as well. "Deal." The brothers bit down on each other's blade, sealing the pact between them.

"Now that break time is over, let's get back to work." Certo snickered. Neros saw what was coming and jumped backwards as a gust of wind blew across the ground. The albino dragon laughed excitedly as he rose into the air from the updraft. Certo smiled and chased after his twin long into the night.

"Dear ancestors, what is with those two!?" Terra grumbled, trudging into her room. Amp was sitting quietly on their bed of pillows reading some scrolls Nitrus had given him to study. However, when his mate entered the room, the young guardian ceased all other activities and sat straight up to listen.

"What seems to be the problem?"

"I don't know." Terra shook her head as she went about pacing around her room. "I just don't get how after that night, Certo and Crona still hate each other."

"Oh come on, you don't really mean that do you?" Amp asked with a comical laugh.

"No I'm serious." Terra whirled on him. "If they didn't hate each other enough before, they do even more now."

Amp raised a brow. "How is that even possible?"

"I don't know. But they found a way." Terra sighed, her wings ruffling in irritation. She walked over and flopped down next to Amp, leaning her head on his shoulder. "I just don't get it. After such a spectacular evening with each other, they act as if nothing ever happened. Or they act like it meant nothing at all to them."

"Well, they are quite a stubborn couple." Amp shrugged, giving his dragoness a kiss on the forehead. "Maybe they need more time. Or better yet, more encouragement."

Terra sighed. "I suppose that would be a good idea. But let's just hope that if they do open up a bit to each other they won't continue to act like they are right now. It's been almost a week since the academy ball and they haven't spoken a single word to each other."

"I think they're just shy." Amp snickered. "Neither of them strikes me as the type that hangs around the opposite sex very much."

"Or around other dragons in general for that matter." Terra rolled her eyes.

Amp rolled up his scroll and rose off the cushions. "Come on; let's go get them out for the day."

"What are you planning?" Terra asked, following him out onto the empty balcony.

"Nothing major. Just going exploring along the silver river. We haven't done that since we found Certo."

"True." Terra nodded. "Hopefully we won't find another dragon there this time."

"Let's hope not." Amp shuddered and flew off towards the library. "I'll go get Crona, you try and find Certo, wherever he might be."

"What? Why do I have to find the harder of the two?"

"Because I'm the one who will have to convince Crona to come with us."

"Oh, yeah. Good point." Terra winced, imagining the white dragoness's reaction. "Good luck Ampy." She zipped in to give her mate a quick kiss on the cheek before banking away from him.

"Yeah, thanks." Amp chuckled nervously. He arrived at the library a few minutes later and found Crona reading in her usual spot on the second level. "Hey there," he called, trying to keep his voice from echoing in the vast chamber.

Crona showed no signs of hearing him, so Amp moved closer. "Yoo hoo. Crona? Anyone home?" He waved his paw in front of her face, causing the dragoness to jump with a startled yelp. The noise was immediately answered by a stern hiss from a nearby bookkeeper.

"Amp, what do you think you're doing, scaring me like that?" Crona whispered angrily, clutching at her racing heart.

The young lightning guardian shrugged. "Hey, I tried to get your attention but you were insistent on not paying any attention to me so..."

"I get it, I get it." Crona waved before rubbing her forehead. "What's up? Is something wrong?"

"Not that I can think of." Amp shook his head. "Unless you think Certo happened to have done something he shouldn't have again." The black dragon's name brought back the memory of that night the week before and Crona felt her heart skip a couple beats. Amp snickered to himself as he saw the pink return to the white dragoness's cheeks. "Well, anyways, Terra and I are going out to the Silver River again to go exploring and we wanted you to come along." He gave a mild chuckle and repeated the half-hearted joke from before. "Hopefully this time we won't find any other wounded dragons this time."

"I don't think so," Crona said, looking down to her book.

"Aww, come on!" Amp whined. "Why not? It won't be as bad as last time. I promise."

"That's not the point Amp." Crona raised her eyes to him. "I've got some things on my mind right now and I need to relax in order to get them sorted out clearly."

"Well then, all the more reason to come along. You can relax with us and maybe get more thinking done than you thought possible before."

"I don't think exploring counts as relaxing, Amp." Crona raised a suspicious brow. "And why so much energy about going out all of a sudden?"

"No reason." Amp shrugged, his quills rustled nervously. "Tomorrow we start our new lessons at the academy and Terra and I thought it would be a good idea to go relax before we have to get back to work."

"We start again tomorrow? Already?" Crona gasped with wide eyes. She had spent so much time in the library recently that she had lost all track of time.

Amp nodded and Crona hung her head. "I guess," she groaned sadly. She really enjoyed staying in the library all day reading.

"Great! Let's get moving then!" Amp exclaimed, causing another hiss for silence to fly his way. Crona only proceeded to grumble to herself as she put her books away and followed Amp out into the bright light of the midday sun. The two flew on towards the enchanted forest beyond the city and soon came to the Silver River. Amp flew in low over the water's surface, his wing tips touching the water ever so slightly as he and Crona flew upstream. Before long they reached a sandy alcove where Terra and Certo were waiting for them. When Certo and Crona spotted each other, they immediately averted their eyes from one another.

"Good, you made it!" Terra chirped excitedly, rushing out to meet her fiancée.

"Sorry to keep you two waiting." Amp smiled. "I had to help Crona put her books away."

"Help?" Crona raised a brow. "I was the one who put them away. You just watched the whole time."

"Details, details." Amp chuckled as he and Terra walked over to the water's edge. Crona only continued to grumble to herself as she and Certo followed after them.

"So what are we doing anyways?"

"Just playing." Terra giggled, wading out into the river. She turned and waved a wing for Certo and Crona to come in. Both dragons looked at each other once before turning back to her, shaking their heads. Terra gave a hurtful look. "Aw come on! Don't tell me you two are too mature to simply enjoy playing a little."

"That's not it at all!" Crona snapped. "It's just childish."

"Oh, is that all?" Amp sneered. "Or is it that you're too scared to have some fun with us?" Terra and Amp laughed, causing Crona's face to turn red. The white dragoness stomped her foot stubbornly in the sand. A moment later a wave of water splashed over her. Crona's mouth fell open as Amp and Terra rolled in the shallows, laughing hysterically. The white dragoness looked to Certo to find he had stepped out of the line of fire when he saw the splash coming. The black dragon was snickering to himself, trying to hide his amusement.

"Oh, you think this is funny?" Crona snapped, wiping the water from her face.

"No," Certo shook his head. "I think it's hilarious."

"Really?" Crona stuck her nose up and marched into the shallows, keeping her side facing Certo. "Well, let's see how much you get a chuckle out of this, smart guy!" With a powerful swing of her tail, Crona sent a wave of water gushing onto the shore, drenching Certo instantly. Terra and Amp continued to roll in fits of laughter as the black dragon's mouth fell open in shock. Crona gave him a prissy smile and strolled out of the shallows back onto dry land.

"Looking a little wet there." Certo raised a brow as he took in a deep breath. "Maybe you should dry off!"

The sudden gust of wind from Certo's lungs hit Crona with such force it almost knocked her off her feet. The white dragoness turned a furious look on him and bared her teeth.

"Oh, you want to act like an air head now, do you? Well you should probably clean up your act first!" Crona charged in, halting time right before she hit Certo, and knocked him into the shallows. The black dragon burst to the surface sputtering and flailing wildly. Crona stomped into the water again and splashed Certo with another wave. The black dragon blew the water right back in her face. Crona ducked below the surface and grabbed Certo's hind leg with her tail before yanking him under.

"You think we should stop them?" Terra asked worriedly as the two continued to splash each other in the face.

"I don't think so." Amp shook his head. "I think they're actually having fun together."

A muffled roar sounded beneath the water's surface. Crona was sent flying into the air as the sonic boom erupted beneath the water's surface.

"Dear ancestors! What kind of attack was that!?" Amp exclaimed as he held onto Terra tightly to keep her from being washed away by the powerful waves. Crona spun in the air and halted time to get control of herself. She looked down to see Certo springing up at her, ready to attack. The black dragon had a wild and excited look on his face at which Crona could not help but smile to herself. She released her hold and waited for Certo to get close. As soon as the black dragon was in range, Crona dodged a playful swipe and latched onto Certo's back.

"Gotcha!" She called and pinned Certo's wings to his side. The two dragons plummeted towards the sandy shore below. Crona was preparing to release Certo at the last moment but the black dragon trapped her arms to his body. "Hey! What are you doing? Are you crazy?"

Certo only laughed. Crona screamed as the ground drew closer. Just before they were about to hit, Certo exhaled a gust of wind and redirected their fall. The two dragons shot to the right and back into the rushing river. The muffled roar of the river surrounded the two dragons as they released each other and scrambled to the surface. Crona came up sputtering water in all directions while Certo swam back towards the shoreline. Crona continued to spit water as she dragged herself back onto the beach. Certo shook himself, spattering the remaining water droplets across Crona's hide.

"You really suck, you know that?" Crona hissed, glaring at Certo.

"Yeah. It's mutual though." Certo sneered back at her.

Crona narrowed her eyes at him. "Well at least I'm not a jerk who laughs at the misfortunes of others." She gave herself a hard shake, drizzling Certo in the process. The black dragon did not seem remotely amused by her latest remark.

"At least I don't make ill-mannered remarks that hurt others when I don't know what they have gone through."

Crona's head snapped back at that. "What? Where the hell did that come from?"

"You know what, forget it!" Certo snorted and stormed off into the trees.

"Yeah. That's fine! Just run away, you coward!" Crona shouted after him. She was trembling with anger and she didn't even know why. After an infuriated huff, the white dragoness spread her wings and took off back towards the city.

Terra and Amp stood dumbfounded in the shallows.

"What just happened here?" Amp asked curiously.

"I don't know." Terra shook her head. "But I think we just caused more harm than good to their relationship."

"Certo! Wake up! Wake up!" A shrill little voice yapped. The black dragon groaned in his sleep and tried to ignore the little dragoness. "Certo! Get up!"

"Not now Ana," Certo growled, rolling over to turn his back to his little sister. Three years ago his parents had produced another egg, thus bringing Ana into the family. The little dragoness was the most energetic out of all the offspring in the cave. So the family had decided that since Certo was the now the second youngest, he would be the one in charge of helping raise the young dragoness. This also meant that he was the prime target for when she wanted anything.

Ana glared at her big brother. "Certo! I want you up!" She leaped into the air and pounced on his side, digging her little needle-like talons into his sides. Certo sensed the attack and bucked her off in one swift motion. Ana squealed as she flew through the air and flapped her wings before coming to a hover over Neros.

"Alright, already." Certo grunted and yawned loudly, getting to his feet. "What would her little majesty like this time?"

"Don't encourage her, brother," Neros muttered, cracking one ruby-red eye open. His eye sight had seemed to improve over the past three years and was able to venture into the day more frequently. Certo believed the improvement had to do with their development from juveniles into adolescence. Both were equally strong and skilled in flight and combat. Their parents had even been considering a possible future mate for Certo.

Ana landed on Neros, causing the albino dragon to jolt upright with an angry hiss. Ana squawked and ran away to take cover behind Certo. "Certo! Neros is being mean to me!" The albino dragon jerked his head back in surprise. He opened his mouth to speak when Certo cut him off.

"Excuse me? You're saying Neros is being mean? You're the one who jumped on him. And quite frankly you jumped on me as well. So you're lucky both of us aren't getting on your case for it. Now go apologize to your big brother."

"But.."

"Now!" Certo ordered forcefully. Ana tucked her tail close to her body and slunk up to Neros.

"I'm sorry," She murmured in a low voice.

"It won't happen again," Certo added.

Ana grit her teeth and repeated her brother's words. "It won't happen again."

"Until the next time," Neros thought to himself. He nodded his half-hearted approval, allowing the three year-old to walk shamefully back to her older brother.

"Go wait outside." Certo thrust his head towards the cave entrance. When Ana had gone Certo turned back to his twin. "Sorry. I don't know where she gets the gall to do such things."

"I, for one, think you spoil her too much," Neros said.

"I'm just trying to make it easier for her. We had it so easy when we were first being raised."

"Excuse me?" Neros raised a brow. He suddenly felt his temper rise. "You had it easy growing up. I didn't! I've had to remain hidden in this cave for most of my life while you were out getting taught the ways of the world."

Certo sighed. "Neros don't start that again. It's not like I didn't pass on to you what I was taught. You may not have had the exact same opportunities I did but you know I wasn't going to let you be left behind."

Neros laid his head back down. "I know. I'm sorry. It's... just frustrating sometimes... to know your family thinks you're inferior because of a few birth defects."

"I wouldn't call them defects. More like, misunderstood gifts."

"Thanks." Neros rolled his eyes sarcastically.

"I mean it." Certo said, walking towards his brother. "Because of your limited eye sight growing up, you came up with a way of surviving without using sight. I never would have thought of that. Much less anyone else around here. Because you had a disadvantage, you overcame that, and on your own I might add. That takes talent, skill and determination, Neros. You should be proud of that."

The albino sat silently for a long moment. Certo could see he was considering his words and smiled.

"I'll be back later when I'm done with the little grublin." He chuckled, turning towards the cave entrance. "Maybe you could be the one to pass your gifts on to the next generation. Maybe teach Ana about night flying too."

"Maybe." Neros nodded slightly.

"Think about it." Certo bobbed his head before leaving to join his little sister. Ana was pacing impatiently around in the early afternoon sun. Her scales were dark grey like Ebony's and her eyes were sky blue. She lacked the large tail blade Certo and Neros sported, but had a tiny barb-like spike at the tip of her tail. "Ready to go, runt?"

"Yes, yes, yes!" Ana chirped, jumping on every yes.

"Alright, then. Remember what I taught you?"

"Uh huh." Ana walked over to the edge of the cliff outside their cave. She opened her wings and closed her eyes as she felt the breeze against the membranes. "The wind is blowing that way," she reported, pointing her tail to her right.

"Meaning what?" Certo stared down at her as she turned to face him.

"I need to go with the wind rather than against it."

"Good. Now what's next?"

"Never open my wings suddenly and keep them loose so I can maneuver properly."

Certo nodded in satisfaction. She had memorized his lectures completely and had progressed even quicker through her flight instructions than he had at her age. After giving her the okay, Ana dove off the cliff side and opened her little wings. The updraft caught her and pushed back into the air, causing her to squeal with delight. Certo took off from the cliff and joined her as she began to climb higher into the sky.

"Easy there, runt. Don't get too far ahead of yourself. You don't have the lung capacity yet to go so high."

"What does lung capicy have to do with it?" Ana asked, clearly mispronouncing the word.

"Our family is known for being able to control the winds themselves," Certo explained as they flew along over the valley. "Our signature attacks deal with being able to exert tremendous bursts of wind from our lungs. But it takes a long time to develop the lung power and skill to do it right."

"Wow, can you do that, Certo?"

The black dragon smiled. "Of course."

"Can I see?"

"Sure. Follow me." Certo banked towards the ground with Ana close behind. "But you have to promise me not to try this on your own unless you have one of us with you." Certo landed and looked her in the eye. "Got it?"

"I promise." Ana nodded. Her eyes were wide with excitement. She had never seen her big brother in action before. She watched as Certo walked a few paces away. The black dragon braced himself on the ground and took several short breaths before inhaling deeply.

The sudden shock wave that hit knocked Ana to the ground, making her tumble head over heels. The little dragon tumbled back until she rolled up against the trunk of a tree and dug the talons into the roots to keep from blowing away. The sound of Certo's roar thundered across the valley, sending birds and animals fleeing in all directions. When the ringing in her ears subsided, Ana got to her feet and staggered up to her brother. The sight before her nearly made her eyes fall out of her head and her jaw dislocate from dropping so hard. The entire forest had been laid out almost completely flat. Tree trunks had turned to splinters, rocks had crumbled into pieces and the landscape looked like a tornado had torn through it.

"When can I learn how to do that?" Ana asked anxiously.

"Not for a while," Certo replied before turning to her. "Ebony will probably be the one to teach you that move. Or maybe even Neros will. He's even more skilled than I am with it." That last comment was a lie but Certo felt it was necessary to give his twin the edge he would probably need.

"No. I don't want Neros teaching me anything." Ana shook her head.

Certo raised a brow. It was not like Ana to turn down learning anything from any of her siblings. "Why not?"

"Because he's inferior," Ana replied.

The wind suddenly roared angrily through the trees as Certo brought a heavy paw down on Ana's backside. The little dragoness screamed at the sudden spanking.

"Don't ever talk about Neros that way Ana! Do you hear me?" Certo pinned his little sister on her side and bared his teeth at her. It was an action he had never had to take with her but she had crossed her bounds too far this time.

Ana was frozen in fear. Tears swelled up in her eyes and she began to sniffle. Certo paid her actions no attention as the wind began to spiral into a small tornado, but was still growing in speed.

"Where did you hear that?" Certo demanded. Ana began to cry out loud now, her voice carrying across the forest. "Answer me Ana! Where did you hear that?"

"Ebony!" Ana screamed frightfully.

"What!?" Certo froze and stared down at her with wide eyes. Ana flinched expecting another spanking; but it never came. Certo lifted his paw off her and stepped back, allowing Ana to get to her feet.

The black dragoness was still crying. "Ebony said that Neros is inferior to the rest of us and has nothing to teach. That's why he spends all his time inside."

Certo paused for a moment before turning around. "Come on! We're going home!"

"Already?"

"Now!" Certo roared, a mild shock wave erupting from his jaws. Ana curled into a ball, petrified of her big brother. Certo gritted his teeth and walked over to her. He grabbed her up with his front limbs and tucked her towards his chest. With a powerful leap, he was in the air and racing back towards home.

Certo set Ana down on the cliff outside. "Go to your chamber and don't come out until I say so," He ordered. "Do I make myself clear?" Ana nodded quietly and hurried off into the cave. Certo stormed in, stomping past his chamber and towards the back of the mountain. "Ebony!" He bellowed furiously.

"What?" His older brother's deep voice called back, sounding rather irritated at being called.

Certo locked in on his brother's voice and found him in the central chamber with his new mate, Siren, who had joined the family two years before.

"You and I need to talk. Now!" Certo growled.

"I'm a little busy right now." Ebony yawned, draping a wing around his mate.

"I'm not giving you an option!" Certo snarled stomping his foot and sending a gust of dirt into his brother's face. Ebony sneezed and glared down at his younger brother. Ebony was now a young adult male in his prime. He could easily take on any young dragon attempting to challenge him.

"Certo, I don't know what your problem is all of a sudden but you're treading on dangerous ground."

"You've already tread where you shouldn't have!" Certo bared his teeth as he began circling his brother.

"What's going on you two?" Siren asked worriedly. She had always been kind hearted, even to Neros, which Certo was thankful for.

"Siren, you may want to leave the room for this," Certo growled.

"Don't talk to her like she's yours to control!" Ebony bellowed, lunging towards his brother. Certo had Ebony right where he wanted him. He drew in a deep breath and roared with all his might. Ebony howled as the sudden burst of wind knocked him backwards into the far wall of the cave. Siren moved out of the way as Certo charged forward and rammed his big brother in the stomach, knocking the wind out of him before he could retaliate.

"You've got some nerve teaching Ana to look down on Neros!" Certo shouted, slapping him across the face with his claws. "She's only three and you're teaching her to look down on others because they're different and calling them inferior! How dare you!?" Ebony took another blow to his face. The male was trying to get his wind back but Certo was holding the upper hand.

"Certo, stop!" Siren pleaded. She moved to grab him but Certo whirled on her.

"Back off Siren, this is between me and him!" A split second later, Ebony's tail struck Certo across the face. The young dragon rolled across the main chamber and bounced to his feet. Ebony shoved Siren aside and spread his wings wide; his wingspan almost the diameter of the chamber itself. Certo opened his wings and gave them a hard flap, sending more dirt into his brother's face. Ebony growled in irritation and suddenly felt another shock wave hit him. The adult dragon flew back and crashed into the wall, causing several rocks to fall from the ceiling. Siren screamed as she moved to avoid being hit by the falling stones.

"What is going on in here!?" Certo's mother, Sable, demanded. Her mate, Bronze, followed close behind her with an irritated look on his face.

"Ask him!" Ebony coughed, staggering to his feet. His face felt like it was on fire. The dirt stung the cuts Certo had made across his face and neck. His chest hurt and his stomach ached.

Sable and Bronze turned their eyes to Certo. "Certo, are you trying to bury us all alive? What are you thinking; using your specialty attacks inside a confined area?" Sable scolded. By now, Star had come out of her chamber with her mate, Enigma, by her side.

"Will you guys keep it down?" Star groaned. "I'm not feeling well as it is and all this noise is not helping." Star had been gravid for about two months now and was due to lay within the next week.

Certo ignored the rest of his family and stepped closer to Ebony. "You would dare to look down on your younger brother, just because he's different from the rest of us! And to top it off, you teach your baby sister to see him as a lower life form when she doesn't know any better? How dare you call Neros inferior!"

"Oh, wake up Certo!" Ebony snapped. "Stop living in your little fantasy world and get with the rest of us. We've been making it on our own for all these years, surviving and prospering while he's done nothing but sit around the cave and mope. You've gone out and developed your own way of survival while he's done nothing. You can't tell me that he's not inferior to the rest of us."

Certo felt his body begin to burn with rage. "None of you even give him a chance!"

"That's not true," Star mumbled groggily.

"I have to beg you to let him join us whenever we go hunting!" Certo shouted as he whirled on her. "This family used to help him when he was first born but something happened to keep you from wanting to do it any more! Neros is not inferior to the rest of us! He's better than the rest of us, if anything!"

"What proof can you provide then?" Bronze asked gruffly. "I have yet to see Neros bring home any fresh meat for us, let alone hear about him taking down prey to begin with. The only reason he gets to eat is because he's family."

"Way to do him a favor, dad!" Certo nearly spat in his father's face.

"Watch your tongue with me, young dragon!" Bronze roared, shaking the whole mountain. "You are not the dominant male in this clan!"

"I damned well aught to be! I've been taking care of Neros more than all you put together! When Ebony taught me how to fight, I taught Neros! When sis would only teach me how to hunt, I taught Neros! It's been me! All the time!" Certo's voice was beginning to shake the chamber and the dragons moved as more rocks began to fall from the ceiling.

"You, young dragon, will lower your voice this instant!" Sable hissed.

"No!" Certo fumed. "I won't until you acknowledge that Neros is just as much a part of this family as I am! He's not without his disadvantages, I know that! But he's overcome every obstacle that's ever gotten in his way! And I'm the only one who acknowledges that, because you're all too stupid and blind to notice anything!" A sudden paw swung at the black dragon, nearly catching him upside the head. Certo ducked under his father's swipe and flapped a single wing, sending a gust into his father's face. The towering male roared angrily and came down on the young black dragon. Certo side stepped his father's swipe and ducked beneath his underbelly, where he could not reach him. Bronze whirled around trying to get at his son to give him the lashing that was coming to him, but Certo was able to feel every movement he made. At last Bronze could no longer take his son's defiance. He let his legs buckle underneath him as he collapsed down on top of Certo. The young male let out a scream as the full weight of his father came crashing down on top of him. Siren and Star gasped in horror as Certo disappeared beneath the bulk of his father's body.

When Bronze got to his feet, Certo lay crushed on the floor of the main chamber. He was coughing hard and gasping desperately for air. Blood trickled from his nose and mouth, impairing his breathing even more.

"You are not the be all and end all of this clan," Bronze growled. "What I say goes. And if you don't like it then leave. And take your disgrace of a brother with you." With that he turned and lumbered back into his chamber with Sable following him. Certo picked himself up off the floor and looked around the remaining faces in the room. Star only hung her head and looked away from her younger brother. Enigma draped a wing over her shoulders as he escorted her back into their chamber. Ebony was being helped to his feet by Siren.

"You're lucky father taught you a lesson before I did," Ebony growled angrily, his eyes watering from the stinging dirt.

"Don't get full of yourself." Certo spat his blood on the floor at his brother's feet. "You couldn't even handle me on your own, so you needed dad to step in for you. If anyone is inferior here, it's you!"

"Why you little ungrateful...!" Ebony was about to pounce on Certo but Siren held him back.

"Eby, don't! That's enough! Both of you!" Siren glanced back at Certo with tears in her eyes. She truly felt sorry for the young male. She had always known about Neros's handicaps but had never really paid much attention to the affect it had on her in-law's outlook on the young dragon.

Certo leered at Ebony with his fierce blue eyes burning with anger. In that single moment a single spark of energy began to grow within Certo's soul. The black dragon turned away from his brother and walked back down the hall towards his chamber, hoping to find comfort in his twin brother.

It was empty.


	16. Chapter 16

Certo tossed and turned in his sleep. His nightmares were plaguing his dreams far more tonight than they had been in the past several weeks. The wind began to howl in response to his tormented mind.

"Certo," A gentle voice called out to him.

"Ugh!" Certo groaned, tossing in his sleep and swiping at the air with a paw.

"Certo wake up!"

"Huh!" The black dragon's eyes snapped wide open to stare into the worried green eyes of Terra. Certo spent a long moment gasping for air. He felt warm all over despite the breeze that he had stirred up in his sleep.

"Are you alright?" Terra asked placing a paw on his cheek. "You looked like you were having a really bad nightmare."

Certo stared at the grey dragoness for a moment before settling himself down and getting to his feet. "I'm fine," He replied, but Terra was not so easily fooled as he had hoped.

"Certo, being fine in your book is basically the world falling apart for the rest of us." Terra pointed out. "Is something on your mind?"

"Nothing that you need to concern yourself with," Certo replied. The sun was coming up over the city. Today was the start of the young dragons' next level of training at the academy.

"But I'm concerned about you." Terra stepped in front of him, forcing him to look at her once again. "We care about you here, Certo. But you shut us out of everything that you do and everything that you are."

"Did it ever strike you that I don't want you all to care about me?" The black dragon snapped. "What makes you think that I care about you to begin with? So why would you want to care about me when I don't share the same feelings for you?"

Tears began to swell up in Terra's eyes. "Because it's the dragon way. To care about others around you. That's why we care about you."

"Who is we? I don't see anyone in this confounded city that gives a shit about if I die or live! As far as I've seen, everyone would rather have me dead!"

"That's not true!" Terra cried, waking Crona on the adjacent balcony. Amp heard the commotion as well and groggily walked out beside the white dragoness. "There are others who care about you! Me! Amp! Master Kia, Vixen, Kris, Katana, Ulu and Sabre all care about you. Even Crona does!"

The white dragoness felt her cheeks flush in embarrassment and was about to speak out when Certo answered Terra. "Crona hates my guts more than anyone else I know! And frankly, I don't care what she thinks of me! I don't care what anyone thinks of me!"

"That's not true." Terra sobbed. "You want everyone to accept you for who you are. But you're afraid that you're just wasting your time."

"You don't know what you're talking about," Certo growled and turned away from her again. Amp was about to spring over to the opposite balcony, but Crona halted him with a raised wing.

"Not yet," she whispered. By now the whole pavilion was awake. Nitrus and Thundra were standing in the central chamber watching the argument unfold out on the balcony. Maya walked lazily up to her mother's leg and rested her head against it, trying to sleep and pay attention at the same time.

"Don't I?" Terra jumped in front of Certo again. "I can read it in your eyes! You want someone to care about! You want someone to be there for you. But you won't give anyone the time of day! Why?" Certo didn't answer. "Why, Certo!?"

"Because I don't want anyone to care about!" Certo roared, the sound echoing across the city and startling the family. "You all know nothing about me! You don't know what I've lived through! What experiences I have! You have no idea what I do and don't want in my life!"

"Then why don't you tell us? We can help!"

"Because I've been trying to forget!" Certo snarled. "Ever since I woke up I've been trying to forget my past, but no one makes it easy for me! I don't want to remember what my life was like before I met you all. But every day, I look at you. You, Amp, Maya, your parents. Your friends. Everything you do reminds me of what I've lived through and it drives me mad knowing that I can't fully forget my past."

"But why?"

"You wouldn't understand." Certo shook his head. "You come from a completely different world than I do. You wouldn't get half the things I've been expected to know growing up."

"Try me," Terra said, suddenly taking a bold stance in front of the black dragon. Overhead, the clouds seemed to be getting darker, threatening to rain down on them. "I may be young Certo, but I'm not stupid. I've already proven that I'm open to new things outside my realm of comfort. I'm willing to try if you are."

Certo just stared at the young dragoness standing tall before him. She was definitely mature for her age, and it was something that he admired about both her and her mate. But he would never reveal that fact to anyone.

"Let's just go start our stupid lessons today," Certo growled and turned back towards the central chamber of their home. Terra felt her legs begin to give out on her. Just before she collapsed, she found her mate under her, supporting her weight as best he could.

"Amp, I tried," Terra whimpered as Crona hopped over to join them.

"That's all you could do," the lightning dragon murmured back. "You did your best. But I don't think he's quite ready just yet."

As Amp ushered Terra inside, Crona found herself staring at Certo who had taking up position by the front entrance to their home. Something about his voice seemed familiar. Almost as if she had heard those words before in a previous lifetime.

The walk to the academy seemed to take longer than usual. No one said a word except Maya who was busily talking to her father about learning more breath attacks in this next course.

"Now Maya, I want you to take it easy and don't get too carried away." Nitrus warned her. "I don't want you blowing the school up."

Maya giggled. "Okay, daddy." She jumped and latched onto her father's leg as they continued to walk along and hugged him close. Nitrus smiled at her before glancing down at the other young dragons. Amp and Terra trudged silently beside one another as always. Amp had his wings draped over her back to protect her from the unusually chilly day. Crona walked behind them but Certo walked on ahead at a much quicker pace. He had reached the front entrance to the academy courtyard before Nitrus and the others and was waiting, impatiently tapping his claws on the stone pathway.

"Good morning!" A familiar voice called from above. The group turned to see Kia come in for a landing beside the front entrance. "Hello Certo. How are you doing?"

The black dragon only nodded, faking a smile as best he could. Kia smiled and turned to greet the rest of the group. "Master Nitrus, it's good to see you and your family are doing well."

"As with you." Nitrus bowed slightly. "Ready for your new students?"

Kia sighed. "I do suppose so. Though I have to admit I was growing fond of having Certo and Crona in my class. They were such model students."

"Hey, what about us?" Amp asked.

Kia only continued to smile. "Well, I was going to say something Ampus, but I don't want to make your ego too big." She flashed his mate a wink. "Right Terra?"

"You have no idea." Terra smirked for the first time all morning.

"Speaking of which," Kia turned to Certo. "If you wouldn't mind, Certo, I was hoping that if you ever have free time, you could come by after class and help with teaching drills for my new students taking my flight classes. Sound good?"

Certo pretended to think for a moment. After this morning's argument he did not want to spend any time with anyone for more than absolutely necessary. But still, he could not bring himself to say no to the dragoness who had believed in him so much the previous semester. Helping her out was the least he could do; so he nodded.

"Excellent!" Kia chirped excitedly, clapping her paws together. "I was spending much of my time over the break looking over my past manuscripts and thinking that they needed a fresh rewrite. So I'm hoping that you'll be able to help with that."

"Sure," Certo muttered before looking back at the towering academy and the building structures surrounding it.

"Well, I'm sure you young ones are eager to start your next level of training with Master Tectonica today." Kia sighed, sad to say goodbye as soon as she had seen her favorite students. "I wish you all the best of luck."

"Thanks Master Kia." Amp smiled. "We're going to need it."

"That you will." Kia nodded and glanced back at Certo. "Be careful, too."

Certo only stared at the pale green dragoness. Something in her eyes told him that she was worried. But Certo had expected this next level of education to be tough. Tectonica would not let him off easily.

"Good luck today, kids." Nitrus waved as his kids headed into the main courtyard.

"We'll see you tonight Daddy!" Terra waved a wing back. Nitrus watched as the young dragons disappeared into the crowd of bodies.

"I just hope Tectonica isn't too harsh on them." He thought to himself.

"Welcome, young dragons." Tectonica paced back and forth in front of her class. Terra, Amp, Crona and Certo, along with their graduating classmates from the previous semester stood before the earth guardian in the courtyard behind the main tower of the academy. Sabre, Vixen, Kris, Katana and Ulu all had gathered close to Certo, overjoyed to see him again; but continued to keep in mind Terra and Amp's plan from before. Crona paid the girls no attention as her focus was fixed on the group of dragons across the courtyard. Among them were the upperclassmen, including Titanus who stared at Crona, licking his lips each time she happened to glance in his direction.

"I would like to say congratulations on making it this far in your training here at the academy," Tectonica continued. "By being here you have shown that you are both physically and mentally capable of taking on the challenge of mastering dragon combat." The earth guardian stopped and turned to face the youngsters. "However, this course will not be like your previous semesters here. I run a much stricter routine. Everyone participates. No exceptions. Is that clear?"

"Yes, Master Tectonica." The young dragons chimed in together; Certo and Crona were the only two who remained silent.

The earth dragoness nodded approvingly. "Very good, then. For the first weeks we will be learning the basics of aerial combat. You have all just come from Master Kia's aerial maneuvers course so flight should still be engraved in your minds." Tectonica turned to the group of dragons across the courtyard. "Frisco! Mateo! I want you two up first!"

"Yes ma'am!" The two males stepped forward. Frisco was one of Titanus's gang members, and a fellow fire breather. Mateo was also a member of the gang but was an ice dragon.

"Take your places," Tectonica ordered. Both males lowered their bodies to the ground and spread their wings wide, ready to take off. "Go!" The new students all watched with wide eyes as Frisco and Mateo sprang into the air, throwing punches at each other with their paws and swinging their tails as they rolled through the air. The girls around Certo gasped in surprise when the boys started using their breath attacks, sending bursts of fire and ice shooting over their heads.

Crona broke her gaze to see Titanus wink at her. She rolled her eyes in disgust and happened to glance over at Certo. The black dragon looked rather bored with the whole aerial display. The longer she stared, the more Crona felt like she was empty inside. Like she had been learning about something only to have her entire thought process ripped out from under her.

A sudden roar grabbed her attention as Frisco breathed a billowing wave of fire at Mateo only to have the blast turn to favor against Mateo's ice breath. The courtyard was suddenly shrouded in hot steam, blinding everyone's view. Certo felt Vixen and the others huddle close to him away from the hot vapor. He gave a gentle sigh, blowing it away and clearing the courtyard up. Frisco and Mateo looked around curiously; neither had expected the mist to clear up so suddenly.

Tectonica seemed to sense what was going on and called both males down from their sparring exhibition.

"Now, I'm not expecting everyone to be at Frisco and Mateo's level right away." Tectonica spoke as she paced in front of her new students. "It takes time and effort to understand and master the ancient ways of fighting." She paused and turned to the others. "Can anyone tell me what the ancient ways of fighting are?"

Crona raised a wing. "The ancient ways of dragon fighting were started when dragons first began developing urban areas of living, such as Warfang." The young dragons all glanced at one another; none of them had suspected the white dragoness of even remotely having knowledge of the largest dragon city in existence. "As dragons tried to become more civilized," Crona put a strong emphasis on the word. "So did their methods of combat. Rather than expending unnecessary energy like the wild dragons were so well known for, they became more intelligent about how they used their attacks during battle. Thus the ancient ways were developed as a way of differentiating between civilized and wild dragons."

"I see that Master Kia was right in bragging about how smart you are." Tectonica nodded approvingly. "You have indeed done your research."

"Thank you," Crona muttered as she stared at the ground. She glanced up out of the corner of her eye to see Certo glancing back at her slightly. He turned away when her eyes met his and she immediately felt even more ashamed at having answered the question. It had only been an answer to Tectonica's question but at the same time she felt like she was reminding Certo about the difference between him and the others. It made her feel dirty inside.

"Crona is correct," Tectonica continued. "The ancient ways are the distinguished style between city dragons and the feral dragons who reside beyond our city walls." The earth guardian's eyes locked on Certo's, whose eyes had already zeroed in on her. "Certo. seeing as how you're a feral dragon, perhaps you could give us a demonstration."

The young dragons all turned to stare at the black dragon. It was their first time being reminded that Certo was not born in the city like they had been. The girls backed away from Certo as he stepped forward, almost directly in front of Tectonica. The earth guardian craned her neck down with a strange grin on her muzzle. Crona noticed as did the black dragon himself. None the less he stood, ready for his new instructor's task.

"Let's see," Tectonica pondered aloud. "Who should we have you spar with? Probably someone you won't hurt easily."

As the earth dragoness continued to mull about her decision, Terra glanced over at Crona who stared at Certo with a perturbed look in her eye. The ice dragoness forced a smile and moved closer to the white dragoness.

"Staring again at Certo are we?"

"Huh?" Crona snapped to attention.

"You were staring at Certo again, weren't you," Terra giggled slyly.

"No I wasn't!" Crona hissed, trying to keep her voice low, and turned away from the ice dragoness.

"Of course you weren't." Terra chuckled, walking around Crona and thrusting her head towards Certo. "I mean look at him. He may be a jerk to you and look like he's been beat up pretty bad. But you have to admit, he's toned!"

"What?" Crona's eyes widened as she followed Terra's gaze.

"Yeah, look at those hind legs of his. I'm sure those muscles could easily lift a dragon like Titanus without much effort. Wouldn't you agree?"

Crona's cheeks began to burn deep crimson and she bit her lower lip. The scars across Certo's legs seemed to line the muscles that flexed beneath his scales. He definitely was a very fit dragon; she could not deny that.

"Titanus." Tectonica called, snapping Crona back to reality. "You may spar with Certo. Just show some… self control." Tectonica flashed him a wink, which only Titanus saw.

"Yes ma'am," the blue dragon snickered and lumbered out into the courtyard. He smiled devilishly at Crona and turned to face Certo. The white dragoness narrowed her eyes at him suspiciously. Something about his attitude did not sit well with her.

"Begin!" Tectonica bellowed. Certo stood his ground as Titanus swung his massive paw at his head. As before, Certo ducked under it and moved to his opponent's flank. Titanus swung back at him but Certo stayed close to the bully's hulking body, out of the range of his front limb swipes. The blue dragon staggered around like a dog chasing its tail trying to get at the black dragon. Certo only continued to look bored, but only to infuriate the fire breather more.

"Stop running you sissy! This is a sparring match, we're supposed to be fighting!"

"Oh, is it a fight we're having?" Certo growled. "I thought you were just busy chasing your own shadow. Don't hurt yourself, big guy."

"Stop!" Tectonica called. Much to Crona, Amp and Terra's surprise he did as he was told. "Return to your positions." She turned to the new students. "As you just saw there, Certo uses his smaller size to out maneuver a larger enemy. A tactic well known in both feral and ancient fighting."

As Certo walked back towards his position across the ring, Titanus lashed out and struck him in the back of the head with his paw. The blow stunned Certo for a second, causing him to stagger forward, but not lose his balance. The class gasped in shock, as they waited to see what he would do next. The black dragon whirled around, his teeth bared and eyes burning with anger. Titanus was choosing the wrong day to get under his scales.

Crona looked up at Tectonica expecting the guardian to scold Titanus for his actions. Much to her surprise and dismay, the dragoness said nothing as she turned back to the combatants. "Ready. Let's try something different this time Certo." She said, looking down at him. "Begin!"

This time Titanus swung his heavy, thorn-covered tail, hoping to force Certo into the air. The black dragon only stepped back, letting the spikes miss his face by mere inches before lunging for the blue dragon's face as he turned around. Certo somersaulted and swung his tail blade, intent on teaching the bully a stern lesson on turning his back in a fight.

"Stop!" Tectonica called. Certo turned his head away from his target giving Titanus the chance he needed. The blue dragon grabbed Certo's tail in his jaws and flung him out of the ring and onto the hard stone. Another gasp of shock escaped from the young dragons. The girls looked to one another with confused expressions on their faces while the boys scratched their heads, puzzled at what was going on.

"That right there was a prime example of feral fighting. When an opponent's back is turned, you show them the respect they deserve and face them head on." Tectonica seemed to scold Certo as he got to his feet. The black dragon glared at her; he was beginning to understand what was going on here. She had set him up. As Certo walked back to his position, hiding his limp as best he could, a roar resonated in his throat. Tectonica smiled, seeing that she was getting to him. "Is something wrong?" She asked.

"No," Certo mumbled, turning his eyes from her to Titanus. "I'm not going to fall for your stupid game," He thought to himself.

"Now, I want you all to pay attention to the difference between Certo and Titanus's fighting styles." Tectonica ordered the class before turning back to the combatants. "Go!"

With a loud roar, Titanus lunged for Certo. The black dragon sprang into the air this time out of Titanus's range. The hulking dragon smiled and roared again, belting a stream of blue fire from the back of his throat. Certo beat his wings hard, climbing higher into the air and sending the flames back towards their source. Titanus growled in irritation as his own flames singed his neck. Certo continued to climb, unscathed by the flames that had tried to consume him. Titanus spread his great wings and leaped into the air in pursuit of his opponent. The wind from his takeoff was enough to nearly knock several of the younger dragons to the ground. Terra leaned close to Amp as he dug his claws into the stone and Crona braced herself against the force.

"I don't like the way this is going," She thought to herself. High above them, Titanus chased Certo around in circles and loops, breathing fire and missing with every shot. "But, what am I supposed to do?"

"Do you think Certo's going to take this seriously?" Terra asked, moving closer to Crona.

"I don't know." Amp shook his head. "But my quills are telling me that this was not a good idea."

"It almost seems like Master Tectonica doesn't know about Titanus not liking Certo," Terra pointed out.

"More like, this whole thing was planned from the start," Crona muttered darkly as she looked at the earth guardian. Tectonica was busy watching the fight overhead with a keen eye, rather than explaining to the class, the point of pairing Certo and Titanus up.

"You don't think Tectonica would do such a thing would you?" Terra whispered.

"I'd bet my mother's ring on it," Crona replied.

"That would make sense." Amp nodded, narrowing his eyes at his fellow guardian. "She's never liked Certo to begin with."

"And why is that with you guardians?" Crona asked, leering at the young lightning dragon. "You were all so suspicious of Certo when we found him. Why?"

"It'll have to wait for later," Amp replied before Terra could speak. "Right now we have to find a way to help Certo before he gets hurt." High above, Titanus roared furiously as Certo rolled away from another attack only to come back and strike him across the snout with his claws. Titanus was a good flier but Certo was literally flying circles around him.

"I don't think we need to worry about Certo getting hurt." Crona shook her head. "But Titanus may blow a stack if Certo continues to dominate this match any further. Those cheap shots he was giving before may have just been the beginning."

"Hold still!" Titanus shouted angrily as Certo dove out of his line of sight again. A second later he felt the black dragon's claws dig into his neck and he let out a squall.

"What's the matter, burn boy? Can't take your own heat?" Titanus rolled and swiped at Certo to get off. The black dragon released his hold and spun around, circling the bully in rapid laps. Titanus's bulk made him far too slow to land an effective hit while his target was moving.

"Damn you! Play fair!" Titanus bellowed and unleashed another wave of flame. Certo beat his wings again, as he banked away from the blue dragon. The flames rushed back into Titanus's face, burning his facial scales. The bully snarled in pain and squeezed his eyes shut. He opened his eyes in time to see Certo shoot around the side of the academy's main tower like a missile before slamming full force into the side of his face. Titanus's head spun as he began to plummet towards the ground. All around he could see the world spinning and stars dancing around his head.

The class gasped in shock as they saw the massive dragon's body fall out of the sky. None of them had ever seen or heard of another dragon who had willingly stood up to Titanus, much less best him in a fight. At the last possible second before he could smash into the ground, Titanus flipped himself upright before opening his wings to slow himself down. But his impact was not without injury; the blue dragon's hind legs buckled under his own weight, forcing him to support himself on his front limbs. He was busy gasping for breath that he failed to notice the black bombshell dropping from the sky until it was too late. Certo slammed all four paws onto Titanus's skull, smashing his lower jaw into the concrete. Every student cringed at the sound of bone hitting solid concrete. Certo sprang off of Titanus's head and landed silently on the ground.

"You can stop now, Certo," Tectonica said, walking over next to Titanus. The blue dragon had blood trickling from his nose and lips. Certo glared at the blue dragon who remained unmoving. Titanus was still breathing, but it was fairly obvious to the other dragons that he had lost this match.

"Young fool," Tectonica whispered to herself as she glared at Titanus. He had let the black dragon get the better of him yet again. The guardian looked back at Certo with a half-hearted smile. "Thank you for the demonstration Certo. You may rejoin the rest of the class."

Certo stared at Titanus for another moment. His classmates saw the burning anger in his eyes spread across his face and form into a disgusted scowl. Certo's tail blade swished back and forth and for a moment Crona thought he was contemplating on using the deadly weapon. After the tense moment had passed Certo turned and headed back to his classmates. Crona breathed a sigh of relief, thankful no further incident had ensued.

Suddenly, Titanus's eyes opened and he let out a furious roar. Every young dragon froze in horror as he lunged for Certo who was turning to face him. Titanus whirled around and struck Certo across the face with his spiked tail, the flat of one of the spikes hitting Certo in his left eye. Everyone's eyes grew wide as they watched Certo stumble on his feet. The blow had been strong and deliberate, meant to get in the final shot before Titanus could officially be deemed the loser. Certo squeezed his eye shut but continued to face the bully; his crimson eye filled with rage.

The blue dragon was about to breathe another blast of fire when Crona took a step forward, ready to jump into the fight herself. Just before she could freeze time, a bolt of lightning struck Titanus in the neck, stunning him and dropping him to the ground.

Every head turned to look at Amp whose body was crackling with furious lightning bolts.

"That's enough Titanus!" He snarled, his quills standing fully erect and screeching as energy crackled between them. "This match is over! And if you proceed on pushing for more you'll have to deal with me too! And I won't hold back like Certo was!"

"You've got a lot of nerve Ampus," Titanus coughed as he got to his feet. "I would rethink..."

"Rethink this!" Amp stomped the ground sending a charge straight into Titanus's front leg. The fire breather cried out as his limb went numb and he collapsed to the ground.

"Ampus!" Tectonica bellowed, turning on the young guardian. "You have no authority to command, much less threaten, my students in my presence! Not unless I give you permission, which I did not! I am the one in charge here! Not you!"

Terra's eyes widened as Amp glared at the earth guardian. Her mate puffed his chest out and spread his wings to their full extent. "I'm using my authority as guardian of lightning to step in and tell you, Tectonica, that you are way out of line!" The other dragons gasped in shock. Amp was always one to follow rules and the roles of others but this was a side of him none of them had ever seen before. "We are supposed to treat others fairly! And it's been made quite clear to me that you are doing just the opposite with Certo. Trying to make him a part of the class by setting him up to be a punching dummy is not what I consider fair!"

"Are you suggesting I'm not treating Certo like a fellow dragon?"

"Each time you've turned your back, Titanus has delivered a cheap shot to him and you've said nothing! When Certo was about to land a hit before you stopped him but Titanus was aloud to strike back!"

"I'm sorry I did not notice when my back was turned, Ampus!" Tectonica bellowed, taking a few steps closer to the young lightning dragon. His classmates moved away, tails tucked to their sides in fear. "But you cannot hold me accountable for what I cannot see. As for Titanus, he's still learning to use control to begin with. You can even ask the headmaster yourself if you don't believe me."

"I can hold you accountable because you're supposed to be in charge!" Amp roared. The commotion was beginning to get the attention of some of the other classes now, as instructors and students poked their heads out to listen in. "And if you're letting this go on then it is blatantly clear to me that you're not doing your job! As an instructor or a guardian!"

Tectonica was trembling with rage. "How dare you talk to me like that!?" She bellowed. "You are not a full guardian yet, so you had best remember your place in this order or you will find yourself without anything before you know it."

Amp hissed and his pupils turned to feral slits. Lightning cracked between his teeth as he bared his fangs at the dragoness. "If you have a problem with me then take it up with my mentor!"

Tectonica's face scrunched into an angry scowl. "Leave!" She growled, trying to control what was left of her temper. "Now!"

"Took you long enough," Amp snorted, spitting a bolt of lightning at her feet. The lightning guardian walked across the courtyard to Certo, who was rubbing his left eye. Blood was running from it and he was trying to apply pressure to stop it. "You alright, Certo?"

"I'll live." The black dragon looked up at him with his crimson eye and Amp felt a sense of fear grip him. It was like looking at a completely different Certo.

"I guess we can't expect anything less, then." Amp forced a chuckle. "I'll see you at home." Terra and the others watched as he walked a few more paces away before turning again with a smile on his face. "By the way, Certo!" He called, grabbing everyone's attention. The black dragon looked over at him and Amp thrust his head towards Titanus. "Nice way to show up the blue blunder over there. I hope to see more in the future."

"Why you little snot!" Titanus roared and was about to go for Amp when a wall of earth shot up in front of him. A moment later Tectonica struck him in the side, knocking him to the ground. "Get off of me!" Titanus ordered.

"You shut up right now!" Tectonica hissed, bringing her face close to his and lowering her voice. "We would have had him but you let your ego get in the way. Now you sit down and listen quietly or I promise you, you will not be getting any more help from me! Understood?"

"Whatever," Titanus growled, squirming away from her. "I don't need your help. I'll just do what I should have the entire time."

Tectonica stepped off. "Well if you think you can do better on your own." She looked up to see the numerous faces staring down at them. High above, the air guardian Kia watched with a disapproving leer in her eyes. Tectonica ignored her and turned to her class. "Continuing on with the lesson now, shall we?"

Titanus turned his heated orange eyes on Certo who only looked back with his remaining good one. "I'll see you after class today!" He hissed.

"Just don't run away," Certo spat, hitting the blue dragon in the cheek with his glob of saliva. The bully bit his tongue and limped back to his gang and fellow students across the yard.

"Amp," Terra shook her head. "I hope you know what you're doing." The ice dragoness stared at the ground sadly.

"I think he knew what he was doing," Crona whispered, bumping Terra with her shoulder. "He was being a friend."

Terra smiled as she remembered everything her mate had said in the face of the earth guardian. "That's my crazy Ampy for you, I suppose."

"Certo!" Sabre and the others rushed over to the black dragon as he staggered over to the group. "Are you okay?"

"Give him room, girls." Ulu ordered as Certo joined them.

"Wow, Certo, I've never seen anyone get to Titanus in all my life." One of the young males gave a light chuckle.

"Yeah," another agreed. "That's got to be the most amazing thing I've ever seen!"

Certo glanced over his shoulder at Titanus whose eyes remained locked on him. The black dragon ignored him and turned back around, quickly glancing at Crona. She showed no signs of having anything to say. But her expression seemed to show pity. Pity that this had happened to him. Certo snorted and trudged away from the group.

Sabre followed after him leaving her friends to listen to the remaining part of Tectonica's lecture. Crona and Terra watched as the two dragons disappeared around a building.

"You're not worried are you?" Terra asked Crona, unsure of how she would take the question.

"I don't know," Crona muttered. "But I have a feeling this whole thing is about to escalate into something worse."

"Feel better?" Sabre asked as she removed the ice cast from Certo's eye. It was already late afternoon, nearing the end of the day for the students. She had gone with Certo to the western gardens where an underground spring provided him with some soothing relief for his eye. The ice dragoness had stopped the bleeding but Certo's eye was still swollen. There was no sign of any permanent damage, thankfully.

"I guess so," Certo murmured.

"That really was amazing what you did back there, Certo," Sabre said, trying to hide the red that was coming to her cheeks. "I never knew you were a good fighter."

"I'm a survivor, not a fighter." Certo growled. "Everything Tectonica said to you all was a lie."

"What do you mean?" Sabre asked, shocked that the black dragon would accuse a guardian of lying.

"Everything she said about how I fight and how you're supposed to fight. It's all a lie."

"I don't understand."

"You saw how Titanus was. He was trying to do everything in his power to win. Even cheat as you would call it. But quite frankly, Titanus had the right idea. When it comes to a fight, it doesn't matter how you win. Because if you take time to be considerate for your enemy, then you may end up getting yourself killed!" His sudden temper caused Sabre to jerk away in fright. The blue dragoness looked into Certo's crimson eye and at the scar that passed over it. Her eyes lowered to the other scars along Certo's neck, the wretched scar across his chest and the slash marks that lined his front legs.

"I guess you speak from experience." Sabre looked away sadly.

Certo looked away and nodded. "I only speak from experience. Because that's all I know." Then he added privately, "Which is way more than anyone realizes."

The two sat quietly for a moment, listening to the sound of the spring water trickling up through the shaft in the ground and down the hillside. Sabre took a deep breath and scooted closer to Certo until she was leaning on his shoulder. The black dragon jerked but could not bring himself to shove her away like he wanted to.

"I'm happy for you Certo," The dragoness whispered. "I'm happy that you're here. With me. With all of us." Certo was silent. His thoughts flashed back to earlier that morning when Terra had woken him up. The memory hurt and he cringed, shaking his head. Sabre moved away and looked at him worriedly. "Certo? What's wrong? Are you sick? Hurt?"

"I need to go," He answered, getting to his feet.

"But why? You can stay here!" Sabre protested.

"Just go home, Sabre!" Certo growled, taking a few steps away.

"Certo, what's wrong? Tell me please!"

"Just stay away from me!"

"Was it something I did?"

"No!"

"Then what's wrong? Why won't you tell us anything?" Certo stopped in his tracks. "Certo... why won't you let us into your life?"

The black dragon turned to face her, his eyes shining with tears that desperately wanted to fall. "Because it's not safe for you to be in my life." Before Sabre could say anything Certo spread his wings and took off for the far side of the academy.

The ice dragoness just stared at him with a broken heart and tears in her own eyes. Unlike Certo's, hers began to stream down her cheeks and plop onto her talons. "But we care about you," She whispered. "I still care about you."

Certo sat at the edge of the academy gardens, looking down the side of the mountain at the valley below.

"Why?" He growled. "Why does everyone insist on trying to get to me? Why?" His memories started to come back and he shook his head violently. The blow from Titanus had given him a concussion and he soon realized that shaking his head was not helping the pain. "Stupid!" He shouted into the distance. "Everyone's so stupid!"

"Are you talking to yourself because you're losing your mind now?" A gruff voice came from behind. Titanus snickered as he and his gang approached the black dragon slowly. "Hey, boys, maybe he's going insane from fear of being crushed by me."

"That would make sense." Frisco laughed. "He was lucky you were going easy on him before."

"True." Titanus sneered. "Well Certo? How about it? Ready to finish this once and for all?" The black dragon did not answer. "I thought so." Titanus nodded. "Just warning you, I'm not holding back this time."

Certo slowly turned his head so his fierce, red eye stared right into the fire breather's soul. "Good to hear. I'm through playing the nice guy."

"Get him!" Titanus ordered and his band of goonies lunged for Certo.

Crona and Terra walked down from their new classroom. Tectonica, like Kia, had an afternoon classroom where she would teach about the various combat maneuvers, most of which Crona already knew from her lessons. Certo and Sabre had not come back for the remainder of the sparring lessons, midday break or afternoon lecture. Tectonica made an effort not to notice, which worried both girls.

"You think Certo's okay?" Terra asked.

"I'm not sure what to think right now," Crona replied. "This whole day seems... tainted... like it could have been good for him but for some reason isn't."

"I feel like he was cheated too." Terra snorted, an angry cloud of frost jetting from her maw. "You know, I was sort of against Amp at first but now that I look back on it, he was right!"

Crona smiled. "I'm glad you're starting to see the forest for the trees."

"What does that mean?"

"It means seeing the world for what it really is," Crona answered.

"Oh," Terra bobbed her head. "Well, I feel like my eyes are finally open. Like I've been keeping them closed for... too long."

"I'm happy to hear that." Crona draped a wing over Terra's back, pulling the ice dragoness into a hug. "There may be hope for us yet."

"Huh?" Terra's cheeks flushed as Crona pulled her close. She never would have imagined Crona being one to initiate a hug with anyone. The white dragoness was aware of this herself. But hearing this from her friend gave her such a sense of relief that she could not think of anything else to do. After all the arrogant and complacent attitudes she had encountered after coming to this time period, it was refreshing to run into a genuinely honest mind.

When Crona released her, Terra looked at the white dragoness in surprise.

"Sorry," Crona apologized, trying to hide her embarrassment. "It just been a while since I heard anyone sound... well... for lack of a better term, intelligent."

"Thanks... I think." Terra furrowed her brow, trying to read into Crona's words.

The white dragon only stifled a chuckle and even Terra had to giggle herself.

"I'm going to wait here and see if Certo and Sabre come back," Crona said, turning to look back down the hall.

"Want me to wait with you?"

"That's okay, but I think you have a fiancée at home who may be in a bit of trouble with his father in-law. You may want to make sure he's still guardian when you return."

Terra grit her teeth. "Yes, that's a good point. Just don't be too long. Okay?"

"I won't." Crona shook her head. "I'll see you at home."

Terra nodded with a grin. "It really has become your new home." She turned and left Crona with her thoughts before she continued to search the school grounds herself.

Two earth dragons fired earth bullets up at Certo. The black dragon clapped his wings together, deflecting them into Frisco and Mateo who charged in from either side. The fire and ice breather felt the wind rush out of them as they fell towards the ground. Certo darted out of the way as another volley of earth bullets shot up at him and grabbed Mateo's tail in his jaws. The ice dragon yelped in pain as the black dragon spun him around, using the wind to pick up speed, before hurling him into the two earth dragons.

"Eat this!" Frisco snarled, regaining his wind and breathing a wave of fire at Certo. Certo thrust a paw out to the side, dispersing the flames. Frisco charged in and rammed Certo in the chest, trying to knock him out of the air. Certo growled and bit down on the fire breather's neck. Frisco screamed in pain as the pinch in his vertebrae intensified. As soon as he released his hold on the black dragon, Certo released his grip. Frisco fell to the ground and rolled in the cool grass to relieve the burning bite.

"Don't forget about me!" Titanus roared, diving out of the sky. Certo rolled away as the hulking behemoth rushed past him, narrowly missing Certo with his horned tail. The black dragon released a gust of wind, propelling Titanus out of control as he tried to pull out of his dive. The blue fire breather hit the ground hard, shaking his goons who were still on the ground.

The two earth dragons that had bean attacking from below took to the air. They somersaulted towards Certo, shrouding themselves in energy, hoping to knock their target out. Certo shot straight up into the air and banked into a tight circle. The two dragons missed their target, but Certo had them right where he wanted them. With a quick thrust of his wing, the black dragon sucked the two earth dragons up into a small wind tunnel. The males yelped in surprise as they were suddenly jerked off course and up to the waiting black dragon. Certo struck the first with his tail, sending him flying into the back of Titanus's head, before drop-kicking the other into the blue fire breather's back.

"Get off, you idiots!" The bully bellowed. He threw the two earth dragons off and turned with his jaws wide open. The other fire breathers besides Frisco stepped up beside their leader. With a loud unified roar they spewed a raging fireball into the sky.

Certo's eyes grew wide and he quickly back-winged away from the intense heat. Titanus laughed and lunged forward. Certo moved to evade but Titanus managed to graze him with his front claws, leaving a welt on Certo's forehead, below his crest. The black dragon was about to turn on the blue dragon when another wave of fire caught him off guard. He beat his wings hard, climbing higher, hoping to get out of the range of the flames.

Titanus snarled as he dove at Certo again, breathing his signature blue breath attack. Certo breathed the flames back into his face but Titanus was expecting it this time. He shut his eyes and craned his neck down so his spikes would take most of the heat. The bully struck Certo with his wing, knocking him senseless for a moment, giving the other fire breathers a clear shot at him. As the blazing fireball rose to consume him, Certo felt his heart skip a beat.

"Stop holding back, you fool!" He screamed in his mind. Certo took in a deep breath and roared. The shock wave knocked the fireball back towards the fire breathers. The young dragons scattered in surprise as the power from their combined attack exploded on impact.

On the other side of the campus Crona heard the roar thunder overhead. Her heart rate quickened and she took off running as fast as her legs could carry her.

Titanus circled overhead and gave an amused whistle. "So you were still holding back." He growled in anger after a moment. Even after all the effort he was putting forth, and believing that he was actually beginning to overwhelm him, Certo was still full of fight. "Well, don't think you can keep this up for long!" He charged Certo again, who dodged his breath attack. "You can't keep running forever. You'll wear out soon enough! And when I get my claws on you, you're dead!"

Certo felt his heart stop and his eyes grew wide. Titanus breathed another wave of fire, this time narrowly missing Certo's spines. "Fire is the superior element here, feral! You're nobody here! And you've chosen the wrong dragon to mess with!" Another wave of fire burst from his maw and Certo shot up higher. "I am the most powerful dragon you'll ever meet! Now stop running and accept your fate!"

"Never!" Certo bellowed, his voice shaking the academy. He spun around at the top of his climb and inhaled. Titanus opened his mouth again to attack but the sudden rush of wind pushed his breath back into his throat. Certo's shrill roar sent a tremor through Titanus's body, impacting him from the inside. The blue dragon's eyes widened as the pain seemed to tear him apart from the inside out. Certo's cry escalated and soon Titanus's posse on the ground could feel its sting. They clutched at their heads as the sound stabbed at their ear drums. A moment later, Titanus hit the ground with a loud crash, smashing several of the flower beds on impact.

Certo landed several yards away, his teeth bared and wings spread wide. His body felt hot, like it was on fire, but the flames of the other dragons had not touched him. The black dragon waited for Titanus to rise. The blue bully had blood seeping out of his nose and mouth and was coughing hard. A growl rumbled in Certo's throat as he spread his wings to their full length. The wind began to pick up, blowing the remaining flames and smoke away. The gust picked up speed and began to form into a tornado around Titanus and his gang. The dragons began to cough and wheeze as the wind escaped from their lungs and disappeared into the whirlwind.

"What do you say now, Titanus?" Certo growled, his voice almost seeming distorted. "You say fire is the superior element? Well let's see how superior fire is without any oxygen to feed it!"

"Certo!"

The black dragon's head jerked up and his eyes grew wide. Crona stood at the end of the courtyard, her eyes wide in astonishment. Certo suddenly felt his temper subside, seeing her there. As quickly as he had summoned it, Certo dispersed of the whirlwind. He suddenly felt exhausted; mentally as well as emotionally. The white dragoness sighed with relief once she saw him calm down.

Titanus coughed hard as he and his gang tried to get their wind back. He staggered to his feet and stumbled backwards as Crona entered the courtyard, making her way towards the black dragon.

"Thanks for the save, babe," He wheezed. "That crazy bastard was trying to kill us."

"Shut it, you oversized dung bucket!" Crona snapped, narrowing her fierce blue eyes at him. "I'm not here for you! I'm here to make sure Certo doesn't get himself convicted for killing you and your goon squad! I know this whole thing is your fault! So don't think for a moment that you're going to trick me into believing that Certo started this!"

"Oh, but you misunderstand, tuts." Titanus growled, straightening himself up before the white dragoness. "This isn't just a stern lesson to the both of you. You chose to be with him at the dance function when you could have been with me. So I'm making sure you realize which of us is the superior male here."

Crona almost wretched in disgust. All this was happening because the big blue blunder was carrying a grudge from a week before. "You make me sick!" Crona spat in his face.

"You don't seem to notice a good thing when you see it!" Titanus bellowed, striking Crona across the face. The dragoness never saw the blow coming, but Certo immediately felt his blood boil when he saw her go down.

"Crona!" He charged forward but Mateo coughed a blast of ice, freezing his feet to the ground. Certo snarled angrily and began trying to pull his feet free. Titanus smirked as the rest of his gang got their second wind and began to surround the black dragon. He turned back to Crona who lay on her side. The world seemed to be spinning for the white dragoness. She had not taken such a serious blow in so long she had been left stunned by the bully's sudden attack. .

Titanus loomed over her and pinned her tail with his paw. The crushing pain snapped Crona out of her daze and she whirled on him slashing his paw with her sharp talons. Titanus growled irritatedly and pinned Crona on her back with his other heavy paw. The dragoness wheezed as she struggled for air.

"Get... off of me!" She hissed, digging her claws into him more.

"You'll be mine, white dragoness." Titanus narrowed his eyes as he looked her over. He licked his muzzle and Crona's eyes widened in horror.

"Crona!" Certo shouted desperately trying to free his feet. Several of the other males laughed in his face while the others pounced on his back. The black dragon bellowed as they bit and scratched him, trying to inflict him with the pain he had caused them. Certo managed to shake some of them off, trying to get to Titanus, but once one was off another would jump in to take his place.

"Let her go!" Certo shouted furiously as he saw Titanus begin to lean down towards Crona's face, his tongue lolling out in lustful manner. The blue dragon turned to look at him with an evil glint in his eye.

"Or what? What can you do to stop me?" He laughed and Certo felt his blood run cold. The taunting laugh rang loud in his ears as Titanus looked back down at the struggling white dragoness. She was helpless, powerless to get away from him. Certo's body seemed to freeze. He could no longer feel the blows from the other dragons as they tried to break him.

All at once his eyes grew wide in terror as his memories came flooding back to him. The image of Titanus was replaced with the hulking, stinking furry body of an ape as he towered over the young dragoness, unable to flee from him. The laughter thundered in Certo's ears and his heart banged against his chest. "What can you do to stop me?" Titanus's voice echoed in his head, followed by more taunting laughter.

"No," Certo mouthed. "Not again..." He squeezed his eyes shut and opened them again to see Titanus still looming over the white dragoness. "Not again!" Certo screamed. A deafening roar burst from the black dragon's lungs. Certo's crimson eye burned with burning hot energy and his scars lit up like red neon lights

The other males' eyes widened in fear. Before they could step back from the glowing black dragon, a surge of energy erupted from Certo's body.

"What the hell?" Titanus turned around in time to be engulfed by the scorching red energy.

Crona watched as the sky turn blood red as Certo's cry reached her ears. A split second later an explosion shook the mountain and a mushroom-shaped cloud billowed into the late afternoon sky. The roar of the blast echoed for miles across the valley.

Miles away in the deepest, darkest territories of the enchanted forest, a pair of ruby-red eyes snapped open. The dragon lifted his head and looked to the east.

A nearby ape chipped away at a bone which he was forming into a savage blade. When the dragon woke from his slumber he turned his attention away from his craft. "What is it?"

The albino dragon was silent for a moment, then narrowed his eyes before turning to the barbarian. "An unfinished job," he growled.

The dust in the air was thick; too thick to breathe. Crona coughed hard and shielded herself from the burning behind her wing. Her eyes and lungs stung with hot dust and burning ash.

"What... what the hell was that?" She cursed in her mind as she coughed hard. She flapped her wing, hoping to blow the dust away but did little to help the situation.

Black smoke and red flames covered the mountainside. Crona stepped cautiously as she tried to find her way around in the fallout. She hadn't gone more than a few yards when she bumped into a body. Crona jumped back and looked under her wing to see Titanus lying on his side. The big blue fire breather was bleeding all over from cuts, gashes and burns and groaning in pain.

"Dear ancestors." Crona shook her head in dismay. She despised the blue dragon for what he had tried to do but even he did not deserve a fate like this.

Much to Crona's a relief a gust of wind came along and began to carry the dust and smoke away. As the area began to clear up, she noticed the bodies of Titanus's gang scattered about, all wounded and bleeding openly. Crona was stunned. The only thing she had seen was Titanus's hulking mass tower over her as he proceeded to force himself on her before she heard Certo cry out.

"Certo!" The black dragon's voice still rang in her ears. Crona turned around to look for him and what she saw made her jaw drop. There was nothing more than a pile of burning rubble now. The academy tower was nearly completely gone. The lower levels had been destroyed, leaving the upper floors to crumble to the ground below. The buildings that were still in tact were scorched black and smoking.

As Crona's eyes scanned the academy grounds her gaze fell upon an impact crater where half of the academy had once stood. Slowly the white dragoness approached the impact sight. Off in the distance she could hear shouts and cries of other dragons as they flew to investigate what had happened.

At the edge of the crater, she looked down to see the black dragon sitting in the epicenter. His body was smoking still from the sudden eruption of energy. Tears were flowing from his eyes only to burn up on his blistering hot scales.

"Certo..." Crona whispered, almost too stunned to say anything else. She stepped into the crater and slid down the steep grade until she was by his side. "Certo... what... how... are you..."

The black dragon turned to look at her and the white dragoness gasped. His right eye was glowing with bright crimson energy; the same glow she had seen before the explosion.

"Certo... I... I..."

"I remembered," The black dragon whimpered.

"What?"

Certo turned away, unable to look her in the eyes any more. "They made me remember!" He sobbed. "I was trying to forget and they made me remember!" He shuddered and another wave of tears filled his eyes and sorrow filled his heart again. He reared his head back to the sky and a tornado blew across what was left of the academy. "Fuck!"


	17. Chapter 17

Certo's sobbing hurt Crona's ears. The black dragon collapsed upon his front paws, crying uncontrollably.

"Certo! Crona!" A voice from overhead called down. Crona looked up to see Kia gliding down towards them. The air guardian landed before the two young dragons with a look of distress on her face. "Are you two unharmed? What happened?"

"I... I don't know entirely," Crona stammered, looking down at Certo. "It all just happened so fast."

The guardian leaned down towards Certo who continued to cry with his eyes closed. "Certo, can you tell me what happened?" Kia asked urgently.

"I don't think he's going to be much help right now." Crona said, placing a paw on the black dragon's back. His scales felt overly hot against her paw pads.

"I understand." Kia nodded. "Come on, let's get you two to safety." She leaned down towards the ground and motioned for Crona to clamber onto her back. The white dragoness did not argue this time. She climbed on to the guardian's shoulders.

"Certo come on!" She called but the black dragon ignored her.

"Certo, listen to her," Kia pleaded. "We need to clear this area out before anyone else gets hurt."

"I don't care!" Certo shouted.

"That's it!" Crona growled and hopped off of Kia's back. She stomped over to the black dragon and forced him to look her in the eyes. "Certo, we'll figure this out later, I promise. But right now you have to stop being so damned stubborn and listen to those around you! Now come on!"

The black dragon stared at her for a long moment, his left eye was dry and bloodshot, despite his onslaught of tears. Kia noticed that his right eye was still glowing with red energy that matched the color of the sky.

Slowly, Certo got to his feet. Crona helped him over and onto Kia's back before settling down next to him.

"Hang on," Kia ordered as she spread her wings. Crona curled herself around Certo as best she could while trying to hold on herself. The air guardian lifted gently off the ground, blowing more dust and ash into the air.

"Master Kia!" The guardian looked up to see Volcanus hovering overhead. "What's the situation?" By now more dragons were showing up as well as the guardians.

"I've got two survivors here," Kia reported, thrusting her head back towards Crona and Certo.

"Are there any wounded?" The blue fire guardian asked, eyeing the young dragons keenly; neither noticed.

"Not yet." Kia replied. "I'm taking them to safety and then I'll be right back."

"Understood." Volcanus nodded. "But please hurry!"

"I will," Kia called back as she took off towards Nitrus's home. As she flew on, Crona looked down to see much of the city in ruins. The explosion had sent debris flying everywhere, damaging and in some cases destroying several building structures. Crona turned to Certo who was crying more quietly now but refused to look at anyone or anything.

"What are you, Certo?" She whispered in her mind.

"Crona!" Terra cried as Kia came down to land in front of her family's home. She was promptly joined by her mother after making sure Maya stayed inside where it was safe. "What happened? Are you alright? Where's Certo? Is he with you?"

"They're fine, Terra," Kia assured her as she leaned down, allowing Crona to help Certo slide off her back. Terra's mouth fell open when she saw the black dragon's glowing eye and she took a couple steps back.

"Would you mind helping me out here?" Crona asked, seeing the ice dragoness's reaction.

"Y-yeah. Sure." Terra nodded, taking up position on Certo's opposite side. As the girls ushered the black dragon inside, Thundra turned to Kia.

"Do you know anything about what happened?"

Kia shook her head. "No, I don't. Crona was pretty shaken up when I found her and Certo's been hysterical the entire time."

"Oh my," Thundra gasped, looking back inside as the girls helped Certo to the back guest room.

"I'll try and arrange a time to meet with your mate," Kia whispered. "I have my theories but I think it's best that I share them with you as a family."

"I understand." Thundra nodded. "Good luck, and both of you be careful."

"I will." Kia leaped into the air and hurried back towards the upper levels of the smoldering city.

Hours passed by noisily for the young dragons. The sounds of wings flying overhead and dragons calling out to each other continued long into the night.

"It's really a mess out there isn't it?" Terra asked worriedly, looking outside at the dark red clouds across the night sky. The ash had blown across the valley and the light from the moons gave the clouds a fiery glow. The sight reminded Crona of the attempted night raids during the war when the apes had tried to take their camps by surprise. The fires that burned on the ground seemed to bleed into the sky, making it even more apparent that the world was spinning in chaos.

The white dragoness nodded sadly.

"It was a real mess when I got there," Amp spoke up. "Titanus and his gang were ten different types of messed up and had to wait for the earth dragons to move them safely."

"Are they going to live?" Crona inquired, turning away from the view outside the balcony.

Amp only sighed. "I can't say. I think so. But from what I heard some of the dragon healers saying, they would be in intensive care for a long time. Weeks. Possibly even months." Crona and Terra cringed. The ice dragoness had not seen the state of the young dragons as Crona had, but when she heard the roar and the sudden explosion, she could only imagine the physical state they lay in.

A low sigh grabbed the three friends' attention. They looked down to see Certo stirring on the cushions they had piled together. The black dragon had cried himself to sleep almost an hour after being brought back by Kia and was now starting to rouse from his slumber.

"Hey," Terra whispered gently once she saw his eyes open. "How are you feeling?"

Certo just stared at her but didn't respond. After a moment he sat up and rubbed his eyes. They were sore and hot from crying and being dried out.

"How's your eye?" Crona asked, leaning forward to get a look at the black dragon's face. Certo only mumbled a response. When he was done rubbing his eyes he looked at Crona who was peering keenly at him. "Well, it's stopped glowing at least." She sighed.

"Glowing?" Amp raised a brow.

"Yeah," Crona nodded. "His right eye with the scar was glowing earlier. Right after the explosion I saw him and it was like his whole eye was radiating with this deep red energy."

"Red energy?" Amp and Terra glanced at one another before turning back to the white dragoness.

"It's like nothing I've ever seen before." Crona shrugged, seeing that they were expecting some sort of explanation from her. She looked at the black dragon who continued to stare at his paws. "Certo, do you know anything about this power of yours?" No answer. "Certo, I'm trying to help you out! Now let me!" Crona hissed, trying to keep from raising her voice.

"I have no idea what you're talking about!" Certo growled. Almost immediately his eye lit up again. Amp's brows jump and Terra leaned away slightly.

"Just what I thought." Crona nodded as she scratched her chin.

"Thought what?" Terra asked worriedly.

"Certo's the cause of that explosion."

"How can that be, though?" Amp asked. "That blast was huge! If Certo was the reason behind all that, that would mean he leveled half of the academy as well as causing damage to the entire city!"

"Amp, keep your voice down!" Terra scolded.

"No need to keep it secret," Nitrus said flatly as he ducked under the curtain. "We already know." Kia and Thundra followed behind him, crowding into the small chamber.

"D-Daddy," Terra squeaked. "But how?"

"Titanus and some of his friends told us," Kia replied.

"Oh no," Crona gasped.

"No need to get defensive yet Crona." Nitrus raised a reassuring paw. "I'm not here to pass judgment on Certo this time. I just want to know what happened from his point of view." Certo was silent and he refused to look the ice guardian in the face. "I was already informed by Amp when he was sent home about the conflict between you and Titanus in class as well as Tectonica's failure to treat you fairly. Despite past feelings. But I have to know what happened from you Certo. Otherwise there's nothing keeping me from letting you go."

"Daddy!" Terra shouted but Thundra silenced her with a harsh hiss.

"So what will it be Certo?" Nitrus asked.

Crona looked from the guardian to the black dragon. Certo was showing no signs of wishing to talk. She was about to give up hope for him when an idea popped into her mind. She leaned in close to Certo and lowered her voice. "Would you like me to be your voice?" Certo's glowing eye returned to normal and he glanced at her for a moment. She was being sincere. After another moment of silence, he bobbed his head once.

Nitrus looked at the white dragoness as she stood upright presenting herself in a very masterful manner. "Certo is allowing me to explain what happened since I was there myself."

"Very well," Nitrus nodded. "Please elaborate."

"Well," Crona turned to look at Certo before turning back to the guardian. "When I got there, Certo was already in a fight with Titanus and his goons. It was clear they were outmatched but I think Titanus thought I was there to stop Certo who probably could have killed them had he really wanted to."

Nitrus glared at the black dragon.

"Considering how much Titanus was pushing him, I think the important thing here is that Certo chose not to do what he could have done."

"But what he did do was destroy the academy that took our city years to build and has been a part of our society for countless generations!" Nitrus snarled, slamming a paw down. Crona took a hesitant step back next to Certo. The black dragon continued to sit motionless.

"Nitrus, it wasn't his fault," Thundra spoke up.

"She's right." Kia nodded. "You know how Volcanus's grandson behaves. It's a wonder this didn't happen sooner with the way he's allowed to do as he pleases."

Nitrus sighed and lowered his head. "I kept telling him that this would get out of hand! And he didn't listen!" The ice guardian stomped his foot, sending up a cloud of ice in the room.

Kia placed a paw on his shoulder to calm him down. Nitrus breathed heavy clouds of frost, instantly chilling the room. "I'm sorry Certo. But where Volcanus's kin is involved I don't know if you can expect a fair trial."

"Like anything in life is ever fair," Certo muttered; Crona turned to look at him with a perplexed stare.

"I'll try and have a hearing set up for you in a few days," Nitrus continued. "I have little doubt that you may be looking at some hefty punishments."

"But he didn't do anything!" Terra protested.

"That doesn't matter," Crona pointed out. "At least not to anyone who doesn't care about Certo or what happens to him." The ice dragoness hung her head.

"Why so long to set up a hearing?" Amp asked stepping forward.

Nitrus looked outside the balcony. "Judging by what's going on outside, I think it's going to be a while before anyone settles down around here."

The ice guardian had not been lying about tensions spreading throughout the city. Over the next couple days, Terra and Amp experienced first hand the fears of their fellow citizens. Word had spread like wild fire about the black dragon being sighted at the center of the disaster and how he had mangled the fire guardian's grandson and several other students.

"This whole thing is ridiculous." Terra shook her head in dismay on the day of the hearing. She had been hanging around outside the council chamber along with a large crowd that had gathered to hear the verdict once the council had made its decision.

Beside her sat Vixen and Ulu. Both had been shocked by the news of Certo's actions. None of the girls wanted to believe it. Katana and Kris had been forced by their parents to stay away from the council chambers, in fear that the black dragon may hurt them as well. Both girls had thrown a huge tantrum about it until their parents brought Sabre's family up as an example to the girls. Just after the explosion and the debris were raining down on the city, Sabre's home had been nearly destroyed by a large falling chunk of the main tower. The monstrous slab of stone had crushed her father's wing, permanently crippling him, while his mate was left with several broken bones from their ceiling collapsing in on her. Sabre had gotten away without so much as a scratch, but that did not make the situation any more pleasant for the ice dragoness. Her parents would live but for the time being she was confined to their immediate presence.

"At least Certo's not fully alone," Ulu sighed sadly. "He's got us for support. Despite what he wants."

Vixen nodded. "I'll always be there for Certo," She said, boldly puffing her chest out in case any one dared to look at her funny.

"Yeah, even Crona is in there with him for support," Terra pointed out. "Now that's really saying something."

"I'm sure if Sabre and the others were here he'd feel better." Vixen looked over her shoulder up the hill towards the pavilions where her friends lived.

Terra sat silently as she looked ahead to the great iron doors. She desperately wanted to be inside and listen to the arguments that were going on. "Do your best, father," She whispered.

Volcanus and the other guardians sat patiently listening to Crona's argument for nearly two hours. She had made it clear that Certo had been lured into the fight in the first place because of Tectonica's bad judgment in picking the sparring partners, though she had wanted to call out the earth guardian on having planned it from the beginning.

"I still fail to see how Titanus was completely at fault here," Volcanus said, crossing his paws. "You say that our own earth guardian chose him and Certo as the examples for the lesson and that the fight had escalated out of control. But my grandson would not have continued the fight after specifically being ordered not to unless otherwise provoked."

"Actually, you don't know that," Crona replied, keeping her temper. She had already been on edge having to come before the council again. At least this time she had allies on her side.

"Certo is a wild dragon," Tectonica scoffed. "His pride was hurt from the class earlier so he wanted to regain his pride by challenging the fire guardian's grandson to a rematch after lessons were done for the day. It's obvious that's the case."

"You have no right to talk in all of this," Kia snapped. "If you had been doing your duty as a guardian and an instructor, this could have been avoided."

"That's what I said," Amp whispered to Cryus who only scrunched his mouth skeptically.

"Are you trying to tell me how to do my job?" Tectonica snarled.

"No," Kia sneered. "But now that you mention it, I should probably write out some brief pointers on your thick skull so you can absorb them!"

"That's enough out of both of you," Volcanus ordered, silencing the quarreling females. He turned back to Crona.

"Master Kia has a point. If Tectonica had cared in the slightest about who she put Certo against, this may have been avoided. But since your grandson was already riled up, he carried it to the next level. I know you don't think he could have but I know as a solid fact that Certo could not possibly have escalated the fight even more."

"And what proof do you have?" Volcanus asked curiously.

"The fact that Certo excludes himself from every other dragon around him," Crona pointed out. "It seems that every time I turn around, he's excluding himself from the group or at least trying to. He would much rather be alone than have to be in contact with anyone else."

"That is true," Amp spoke up, looking towards Kia. "Even in group activities he was always the quietest and most secluded." The air guardian nodded.

"Have the other guardians witnessed such behavior?" Volcanus asked skeptically.

"I have." Nitrus nodded. "Certo truly does only tolerate the company of others when he has no choice."

"I see." Volcanus sighed. He was hoping that of all the dragons in the council, Nitrus would be most willing to rid himself of the black dragon. "And young Cryus. You go to school with Certo as well. Has he in fact behaved as your fellow peers have declared?"

"I'm not sure," Cryus replied. "I've never really been around him that much. But if Crona says it's true then I believe her. She's proven to be a very sharp mind." The blue dragon gave her a wink. Crona nodded thankfully.

"Very well then. I cannot deny the majority of the assembly for being in favor of my grandson initiating the feud." Volcanus narrowed his eyes at Certo. "Though I cannot understand how such a disciplined mind could be driven to start such a thing."

"So what course of discipline will you take?" Nitrus asked, fixing the fire guardian with his cold blue eyes.

Volcanus sighed. "Titanus shall be suspended for the semester once lessons begin again. Are we all in favor?" The council nodded.

"Suspension is probably the least he deserves," Crona thought to herself.

"Now the next order of business is what to do about you." Volcanus stared hard at Certo who only continued to look at the floor. "Now, you have a majority ruling on your side that you did not initiate the fight. But you have to see where we are coming from." Crona suddenly stiffened up. The fire guardian was not going to take punishing his grandson kindly without repercussions. "Our entire society revolves around civility to one another even in the midst of a dispute." The other guardians seemed to sense where the fire guardian was going with this. Kia and Nitrus exchanged nervous stares while Amp looked at Crona with an equally edgy expression. "But what you did was destroy, not just a small part, but over half of a major key to our culture!"

"That was not his fault!" Crona protested but Volcanus ignored her.

"That academy had been around since before I was hatched and even my great grandfather. And just like that, it has been wiped from our world. Now I know things are different in the outlying areas but inside this city we emphasize something called restraint."

"Volcanus, that's enough!" Nitrus ordered only causing the fire breather to turn on him."

"Nitrus. As a fellow guardian and mentor to young Ampus, do you not emphasize composure and restraint with him?"

"Well, yes, I do..."

"And young Cryus. Do your instructors not emphasize that you refrain from using excessive force when working with your fellow peers?"

"Yes sir." The water dragon nodded.

"And what about you Crona?" Volcanus fixed her with his brilliant fiery orange eyes. "A dragoness, so young. So smart. So beautiful. Truly you could not have been raised by barbarians. Even you must know about restraint in the midst of others." Crona only glared at the blue guardian. She would not dignify his unjust plan with an answer. Thankfully, he did not wait for one. "To defend one's self is moderately acceptable within these city walls. But to destroy something as sacred as the place where our young dragons learn and in the process wounding dozens of your fellow citizens, is something that is far worse than merely starting a fight with a fellow student." Volcanus's eyes moved around the circle of faces; all but Tectonica averted their eyes. "Would not my fellow guardians agree?"

Crona's mouth fell open in dismay. She could not believe the guardian had just pulled such a dirty move. She found it even harder to believe that no one was willing to say anything.

"You can't hold that against Certo!" She snapped. "Titanus pushed him to the limit! If Certo hadn't lost it, I..."

"I'm sure Certo knew full well what he was doing," Volcanus silenced her. "Every dragon, feral or not, should have control of their breath attacks by your age."

"It wasn't a breath attack!" Crona snapped.

"Then what was it?" Tectonica asked in a mocking tone. "Clearly you seem to know everything about Certo. Is that because you two are friends? Or perhaps you have some hidden underlying feelings for him?"

"I am not the one in question here!" Crona shouted at the top of her lungs, her claws digging into the marble floor, only inches from where she had vandalized the stone the first time. Her cheeks burned with embarrassment but her face burned red with anger. "The question is why Certo is being held responsible for something he did not want and even more so, had no control over!" Before the council could speak, Crona held up a paw, stopping time where it was. "Sin!" She turned to the white, wingless dragon on his crystal pedestal. "Why aren't you saying anything? I could use your help here!"

"I'm sorry Crona," The oracle replied, opening his eyes. He had been quietly meditating through the whole argument and only spoke up now that Crona had insisted of it. "But nothing I say will sway the guardians minds."

"Why not? I thought you could give advice that may help influence them."

"But I cannot say anything that will convince them to sway their decision. They will always look down on Certo from here on out until Titanus..." His voice trailed off.

"Until Titanus what?" Crona snapped. "What's he going to do? How do I get the council to..."

"It's beginning," Sin muttered.

"What?" Crona stopped and raised a suspicious brow.

"History is being written as it should be. To balance the world out."

"Wait, what do you mean? The war?" Crona gasped with horrified eyes.

"It's started."

"No," Crona whispered to herself. "It can't be..." She looked over her shoulder at Certo. "The war can't be because of him." The white dragoness looked back at the oracle. "Can it?"

"It's as my prophecy foretold," Sin replied. "A terrible shadow will fall upon the land and dragon kind when a black dragon comes to rid the world of sin."

"But... Certo... isn't like that." Crona stammered. "He's not a killer. A jerk yes, but he's not what you say he is."

"I'm not talking about Certo," Sin replied. "I'm referring to his past." Before Crona could speak, Sin raised a paw to silence her. "Good luck Crona."

"Wait, but—" Just then time continued its course.

"It does not matter what force it was but the fact that it came from that dragon is enough to deem it a threat to our society and way of life," Volcanus declared. "Certo will be expelled from further lessons at the academy and will, in turn, help to rebuild what he has destroyed." Crona opened her mouth to speak but Volcanus cut her off. "This hearing is adjourned."

The white dragoness stood dumbstruck before the guardians. No one could say anything to her or for her in the black dragon's defense. It wasn't fair. It wasn't fair that Titanus got away with a slap on the paw for all he had done and tried to do and Certo get the worst punishment.

The black dragon turned and walked past the white dragoness. As he brushed by her he whispered in her ear. "Thank you." Crona froze for a moment before turning to watch the black dragon trudge out of the conference chamber and out into the halls. She had never cared about Certo's feelings but something inside her felt compelled to stand up for him this time.

Without even thinking the white dragoness turned to the council and stamped her foot hard. The force cracked the marble floor, surprising everyone in the room. "You know what? Your academy sucks anyways! If Certo leaves, then so do I!" She turned to follow after Certo as Amp and Cryus jumped to their feet.

"Crona, wait!" They hollered after her.

Outside the crowd of dragons moved to create a path as Certo exited the building. They spoke in hushed tones as they watched him trudge into the streets. Up ahead, Terra waited with Vixen and Ulu. When they saw the black dragon's eyes staring at the ground and wings drooped sadly they all felt the world crash down around them.

"Certo," Ulu walked up and looked him in the eye. The black dragon's eyes looked so dull and lifeless now. It was as if the spirit had been drained from him, leaving only a hollow shell of a dragon. "I... I'm sorry... for whatever it is..." The lightning dragoness was trying to hold back her tears to appear strong for him but she was slowly failing in her attempt. Certo only walked around her, and past Vixen who bit her lip, trying not to cry as well. The girls could only imagine the worse for their newfound friend and they did not like where their imaginations took them.

Standing ahead was Terra whose mouth suddenly felt dry with nothing to say. "Certo, did my father... and Amp..."

"It wasn't their fault... if that's what you're asking," Certo whispered.

"I'm so sorry." Terra leaned on Certo's shoulder and wrapped her wings around him. Certo sighed as he glanced around the crowd of faces looking down at him. Several of the spectators looked disgusted in him while others were beginning to wonder.

"Certo! Certo!" A shrill voice called out. Every head turned as Maya came bounding down the street with Thundra following behind her.

"Maya, now's not the time." Terra sniffled, releasing Certo from her embrace.

"But I saw something really cool!" Maya squealed, jumping around excitedly. "I was at the upper gardens and I saw a dragon that looked exactly like Certo. But he was white, and both his eyes were red."

"What!?" Certo roared, the life suddenly returning to his voice. Before Maya could repeat herself the black dragon sprang into the air and beat his wings hard, taking off towards the upper gardens.

"Where's he going?" Crona asked as she ran out of the council chambers. She watched as Certo quickly flew away towards the upper levels of the city.

"I don't know." Terra shook her head. "Maya just said she saw a dragon that looked just like him but was white."

"Another Certo?" Ulu and vixen exchanged skeptical looks.

All of a sudden a howl echoed across the city followed by a series of hoots and barks. The dragons lifted their heads and looked around curiously.

"What is that sound?" Terra asked.

"I don't know," Vixen answered.

"I've never heard such a noise before."

Crona felt a chill run down her spine. "I have."

Certo reached the gardens in a matter of minutes. He landed outside the gate and rushed in, looking around frantically. There was no one in the upper rose beds but down the hill a little more he spotted what he was looking for. He dashed down the steps to the soft grass at the bottom where the aforementioned dragon Maya had seen was standing over a koi pond.

Certo stopped in his tracks as he felt his blood begin to boil. "You."

The dragon lifted his head after taking a long drink and turned to smile at Certo. The savage, ruby-red eyes that Certo had known for so long seemed to taunt him now with their very essence.

"It's been a while. I didn't think you were still alive, Brother."

Certo bared his teeth and dug his claws into the ground. "Neros."


	18. Chapter 18

The hoots and howls continued to echo across the city. The dragons of the city all turned as the noises reverberated around them.

"Crona, what's going on?" Terra asked, the fear was thick in her voice.

"Apes," the white dragoness growled, moving in front of the crowd and lowering herself into a fighting stance.

"A-apes? What do you mean?"

"We're about to be attacked!" Crona shouted back over her shoulder. Her sudden tone frightened the city dragons. They all looked at one another then to the white dragoness, unsure of what she was talking about. Crona hissed in anger; she was far beyond irritation now. These dragons were so flat-footed they couldn't possibly stand to fight against the apes even if they tried. There was no order among them. No sense of readiness should danger ever strike.

A sudden hoot came from behind a nearby pavilion. Crona's head snapped around as the fur covered baboon sprang into the air, jaws open wide revealing his long fangs. The ape bore down on the white dragoness who stood her ground. Behind her, Terra screamed.

The sound of the ice dragoness's cry carried to the gardens, causing Certo to turn his head. The moment he broke his attention, Neros lunged forward. He rammed his twin in the chest, knocking him against the large steps and pinning his neck against the corner.

"You've gotten weaker Certo." Neros laughed. "Have you lost the will to live yet?"

"I almost did, until you showed up!" Certo elbowed Neros in the gut and snapped at his face, forcing his brother off of him. The brothers gnashed their teeth back and forth, as they circled one another.

"I thought you'd died in the falls. But I suppose it was my fault for not making sure the job was done right."

"Yeah. You'd think that you'd learn to be as thorough as you can after all these years!" Certo vaulted forward and struck the albino dragon across the face with his tail. Neros staggered and Certo bucked him into the air with his horns. Neros beat his wings as Certo lunged after him, propelling himself away and Certo into the koi pond. The black dragon whirled around, splashing water through the air, getting Neros in the face with the murky water. The albino growled as the muddy water stung his eyes. Certo scrambled out of the pond and leaped into the air to strike. Neros spun out of the way and slashed Certo across the back with his tail blade. Certo snarled and landed on one of the large steps before springing backwards, catching his twin off guard. Certo thrust his head back, jabbing his long horns into Neros's shoulder, just below his wing.

The albino curled around his sibling and dug his claws into his gut. Certo tore away and dug his own claws into Neros's hindquarters, pulling him down to the ground. The brothers hit the soft grass in a fit of snarling and scratching. Neros swung at Certo but the black dragon blocked the strike before smashing his forehead into Neros's muzzle. Neros felt his head rock back and suddenly a tight grip clamped around his exposed throat. Certo bit down on his brother's neck and dragged him across the ground over to the koi pond. He pinned his brother down and pushed his head under the water. Neros began to kick wildly and struggle for air. When he realized that Certo's grip was not going to weaken he began to tense his muscles.

With the little remaining air he had left in his lungs, Neros released a sonic blast under the water. A spout shot into the air, surprising Certo and giving his brother the chance he needed. Quickly, Neros sucked in another breath and released another blast of wind as the water and plants rained down on them. The sonic boom hit the ivy-covered stone wall close by and blew a hole in the wall. The jagged chunks of rock peppered both black dragons, enough for Certo to release his hold and Neros to squirm out.

The albino coughed as he backed away from his brother who proceeded to stalk towards him.

"I guess I was wrong about you getting weaker. If anything you've gotten nastier. I never would have thought you'd try to rip out my throat and drown me at the same time Certo."

"Oh that's not all I'm going to do to you," Certo snarled as the wind began to pick up. "I'm going to make you suffer ten fold for what you've done!"

"Don't make me laugh," Neros scoffed.

"I'd rather you scream for mercy instead!" Certo roared and lunged for his twin.

The ape smashed into the wall of the building in a splatter of blood. Crona stood poised and ready for the next attack, should the barbarian get up. Behind her, the city dragons looked dumbfounded as they watched the baboon slump to the ground as blood stained its dark fur and spilled from his eye sockets and nostrils.

"Been a while since I've killed any apes," Crona thought to herself.

"Terra!" Amp and Cryus came running out of the council chambers over to the girls. "I heard you scream! What happened?"

"Not now Amp!" Crona shouted. "Get ready to fight!"

"Fight? Fight what?" The lightning guardian looked around hesitantly.

"Them!" Crona pointed to the fallen baboon and Amp curled his lip in disgust.

"Dear ancestors! They're hideous!"

"What is all the noise out here!?" Volcanus demanded as he and the other guardians marched out of the pavilion.

Before Crona could answer, another howl went up around the city and a scream came from the crowd. Everyone turned to see a young female dragoness with an ape latched onto her back. The beast raised its dagger and plunged it into her shoulder, bringing her to the ground. As the ape continued to stab away, the other dragons moved to help but suddenly more howls came as the apes leaped high over the rooftops of the building and onto the unsuspecting dragons. One latched onto Volcanus's back and stabbed into his right shoulder. The blue fire breather roared in pain and grabbed the baboon in his jaws before tearing him away. The ape was slammed into the ground before being crushed under foot by the fire guardian.

"We must protect our people!" Volcanus hollered to the other guardians.

All around, apes were hopping around from rooftop to rooftop, taunting the dragons who tried to keep up with them. Many of the baboons managed to catch the city dragons off guard and latch onto their backs before using their crude weapons to bring the great beasts to their knees. Nitrus swatted an ape out of the way that was going to Thundra only to have another grab him from behind, stabbing him in his hind leg. The ice guardian bellowed in pain and spun, trying to snap at the filthy creature but his attacker held on. Another large ape rammed into Nitrus, knocking him to the ground. Thundra moved to help her mate but two apes jabbed at her with their spears, keeping her at bay.

"Daddy!" Terra screamed as she backed closer to Amp. The lightning dragon whirled around in time to see the large ape raise his sword, carved from a large bone, over his head, ready to deliver the death blow to his mentor. A shrill roar cut through the air and a bolt of lightning struck the ape in the back. The beast convulsed and fell where he stood. Nitrus looked over at Amp with wide eyes as the young dragon reared up on his hind legs and spread his wings wide. The apes piled on top of Nitrus paused to look at the young dragon curiously. A split second later Amp unleashed a chain of lightning, killing three of the apes in one shot. Nitrus bellowed and rolled to his feet, knocking the original attacker to the ground. The ape squalled before he was crushed beneath the guardian's foot. The two apes jabbing at Thundra were promptly smacked aside by the flat of the guardian's tail blade.

Off to the side, Crona side stepped as two apes swung their blades at her, missing her completely. She bit down on the nearest ape's wrist and jerked her head, snapping the beast's bone and throwing him in to his comrade. Another ape grabbed her by the tail and lifted her upside down. The baboon grinned excitedly at her. Crona bared her teeth as she curled hard into a ball. She struck the ape's lower jaw, forcing his long fangs through the roof of his mouth. The white dragoness dropped to the ground and swung her tail, knocking the barbarian on his back. She looked up to see a large ape sneaking up behind Amp and Terra and her heart nearly stopped.

"Terra!" The ice dragoness turned around and her eyes grew wide as the ape swung its sword, intent on cutting her in half. Crona lunged forward, stopping time to gain her speed, then smashed into the ape's arm, causing him to miss the petrified ice dragoness. The baboon turned with an angry scowl and hatred shining in his dark eyes. Crona braced herself for him to attack.

Suddenly, Amp and Cryus pounced on the hulking brute, riding his face into the ground. Cryus sprang off as Amp's body surged with electrical energy. The ape twitched as millions of volts coursed through his body before laying still.

"You okay?" Cryus asked Crona, looking rather out of breath.

"Fine, thanks." Crona nodded. She looked up as another invader loomed up behind Cryus. Crona sprang at him and slashed the ape across the face with her talons, spattering his blood across the ground. The ape staggered back and soon a gust of wind hit from the side as Kia blew it and several other attackers into a nearby stone structure. The guardian looked at Crona who nodded her thanks.

"Maya? Maya!" Thundra called frantically as the remaining dragons took to the air out of the way of the attackers. Crona, Terra, Amp and Nitrus all turned to see Terra's mother searching frantically for her other daughter. "Maya, where are you?"

"Oh no!" Crona thought to herself. "Not Maya!" She clutched at her head as the memory of Arcadia came rushing back to her.

"Crona? Crona!" Cryus cried, rushing over to her side. "Crona what's wrong? Are you hurt? Where's the injury?"

"We have to find Maya!" Crona groaned as the migraine ensued. "We can't let the apes get her!"

"Leave it to me." Cryus nodded and took to the air. "Don't let them get away!" He called to the dragons fighting off the invaders. "They may have captives!" The dragons nodded and began to fight back harder.

By now there were only a few apes jabbing at the dragons with their swords and spears, trying to keep their attention. Most had either already retreated or had been killed off by the guardians.

Tectonica fired an earth missile into the ground, causing a wall of earth to shoot up, blocking off the apes' escape. The baboons saw what was going on and scrambled up the wall. Volcanus snarled angrily and breathed a line of fire along the top of Tectonica's wall, creating a blazing barrier between the apes and their freedom. The guardians stalked up to the nervous looking baboons. There was nowhere left for them to hide.

"I think they've got it under control." Amp panted heavily as he moved closer to Terra. He was severely winded after the scuffle but he was not going to let his guard down as long as his dragoness needed him.

Just then a thunderous roar rang down across the city.

"Certo!" Crona exclaimed.

The black dragon bit down on his brother's neck again and hurled him into the stone wall. Neros let out a cry as he crumbled to the ground.

"Please Certo! I'm sorry. Have mercy!" He pleaded as he watched his twin lurk over to him.

"Mercy? You want me to show you mercy?" Certo grabbed Neros by the wrist and swung him into one of the large steps. "Did you show any mercy to the others? Did you?" The black dragon's blood felt like it was on fire again.

"N-no." Neros groaned as he struggled to pick himself up off the step.

"I didn't think so! Yet here you are expecting me to show you mercy!"

"Well, no. Not necessarily." Neros snickered, wiping the blood from his muzzle. "I just wanted to make sure you'd be tough enough and cold enough for me to show you something."

"Oh really," Certo growled, moving closer to his brother until they were nearly nose to nose. "And what would that be?" For a long tense moment the only sounds they heard were the wind howling at their feet and the sounds of the dragons in the city below.

"This." Neros struck Certo in the chest with his paw. The black dragon immediately felt the wind rush out of him as he shot backwards and struck the wall with crushing force. Neros laughed as he watched his twin hit the ground twitching like a dying fish out of water. "Thanks to you and the rest of the family I've come into some new power." Neros boasted as he strolled along the steps. "It took a little wile to control but I've pretty much got it now." Certo coughed on his own blood as he looked up at his twin. Neros had never been able to deliver that much force into a single blow; ever. "And since you're my twin and seeing as how you're still alive, I figured I'd let you be the first to see it in action."

Neros stopped and spread his wings wide. A low growl resonated in his throat and his wings began to twitch. The shaking continued and soon the albino's entire body was trembling. Certo's eyes grew wide as a purple bolt of lightning crackled from Neros's body. His twin smirked upon seeing his reaction and forced out more energy. More bolts of purple energy began to snap and pop around Neros before he let out an ear shattering roar. He suddenly began generating the purple energy which swirled about him like a current of air. The purple energy began to pulse fiercely, creating a vacuum and pulling Certo closer.

The black dragon dug his claws into the ground, trying to resist the pull of the energy. Neros laughed maniacally as he watched his brother struggle. Without warning he lurched from the step and slammed into Certo. The black dragon hit the wall again and nearly blacked out from the impact. Neros grabbed him by the tail and yanked him into the sky before hurling him into what was left of the koi pond. Certo hit the thick, muddy bottom of the pond and came up gasping frantically and clawing for the edge of the pond, half blinded by mud.

Neros landed nearby and waited for Certo to clean himself off and open his eyes. When he did, they grew wide as Neros breathed a wave of the purple energy. Certo screamed as he was sent flying back into a row of rose bushes. The thorns cut into his skin before being petrified where they rested. When the pain subsided, Certo opened his eyes. The moment he moved, the rose bushes crumbled into dust.

"Pretty nifty, huh?" Neros said, walking over to him. "It does that to any living substance if I can hold it for long enough. Luckily for you I can't control it too much just yet. This was that secret I wanted to tell you about before you... well... you know what you did." He leaned in and looked into his brother's terrified eyes. "But that doesn't matter to me." Neros leaned back and turned to walk away. "I'll be back for you later Certo. But first I have other dragons to wipe out before I can focus on you."

"You bastard!" Certo rolled to his feet and roared, sending a sonic screech at his brother. Neros turned and extended his wing tips in front of him before adding his own roar as a counter force. The sonic cry passed around Neros, cutting rocks, stones and bushes down to piles of debris.

"Aw, Certo. Are you so mad at me you want me to kill you first and end your suffering?" Neros asked mockingly. In a flash he charged in and struck Certo in the face, knocking him to the ground again. Certo had not stopped bouncing before Neros grabbed him by the tail again and slammed him into the side of one of the steps. Certo felt his skin open up and blood spatter across the stone. Neros forced him onto his back and dug his talons into his throat. "After all we've been through you'd think you'd learn to take a gift when it's given to you." Certo could feel his warm blood trickling down his head as he stared in fright into his twin's ruby eyes. Neros felt the way he trembled beneath his claws and smiled. "You know, Certo, if you're going to change your eye color, you should stick with one or the other. Not half and half." Neros raised his tail blade and brought it towards Certo's eye. The black dragon began to breathe nervously. "I think red will suit you fine since you've had blue all your life. But in order to make it red, the blue has got to go." Neros's tail blade twitched and Certo jerked his head to the side as he brought the blade down. Certo screamed in pain as he felt his brother's blade spikes dig into his forehead just above his right eye. "Aw Certo, now that's just making my work look sloppy!" Neros growled and yanked his blade away, cutting a deep gash across Certo's face. It would be another scar that the black dragon would wear for the rest of his life. "Now let's try this again."

Suddenly Neros felt a jolt in his right shoulder and back. His side went numb for a moment but he quickly shook off the feeling and looked around. At the top of the steps stood a young lightning dragoness no more than five years of age. She frowned down at him and stuck her tongue out.

"Leave Certo alone!" She shouted angrily.

"Oh-ho! What have we here?" Neros sneered, stepping off of his brother.

"M-Maya..." Certo wheezed, looking up at her. Blood flowed into his eyes, making it difficult for him to see.

"Oh, I see," Neros smiled down at his twin. "She's a friend of yours is she?"

"No! Neros, don't! Please!" Certo struggled to rise but his body was not cooperating.

"Too late." Neros said as he sprang into the air, and vaulted over Maya's head before landing behind her. The little dragoness turned with wide eyes as the albino spread his wings before her and glowered down at her with his fierce eyes burning right through her. Maya took a cautious step backwards, curling her tail around her body in fright.

"Neros! Leave her alone! She innocent!" Certo pleaded as he forced himself onto his feet.

Neros only scowled at him. "There are no innocents amongst dragons. Especially not where our family is concerned. Anyone associating with our kind will be purged!" Certo's eyes grew wide as the purple energy began to emanate from his twin's body. Time seemed to slow down as Certo sprang into the air, reaching out for Maya as Neros reared his head back. The black dragon grabbed Maya, yanking her out of the way just as Neros used his purple breath attack, sending Certo smashing into the lower lawn. The black dragon curled around Maya protectively until they stopped rolling and came to rest against the destroyed wall.

The albino black dragon snickered to himself. "You know, brother, you're only wasting your time. I'm going to eliminate dragons from this world one way or the other. Protecting them is only going to prolong their suffering."

"N-no..." Certo wheezed as he pulled Maya's body closer to him. The little dragoness was unconscious, but he continued to hold her close to him as her protector.

"Yes, Certo. Anyone and anything you hold sacred, I will personally burn away. I want you to suffer the way I have and know what it's been like for me all these years."

"Maya!"

"Certo!" The voices of the other dragons were drawing closer.

"Well, I have to run for now." Neros waved a wing. "I'll be back brother. But not too soon this time. I want you to think about what's coming and relish in it." Neros gave an evil laugh as he became shrouded in purple energy. With a mighty flap he shot into the sky and away from the city.

Crona and the other guardians craned their necks up as the purple being shot away from the city.

"No way! It can't be!" Crona gasped.

"Maya!" Terra called, grabbing the white dragoness's attention. Crona ran ahead into the gardens where the figure had been spotted flying away from. When she got there, the sight stopped her dead in her tracks. All around, the once lush greenery was torn up, burned or crumbling beneath the broken steps and rock wall.

Down at the lower level of the garden, partly buried beneath the rubble of the wall, lay Certo with Maya cradled close to his chest.

"There!" Crona exclaimed as the others poured into the garden. The dragons all hurried down to find Certo wheezing heavily, but still awake.

"Certo!" Crona gasped, leaning down towards him to look Maya and the black dragon over. "Is she..."

"She's alive," Certo gasped, raising his leg so Thundra could scoop up her daughter.

"Thank goodness," The lightning dragoness sighed with relief.

"What happened!?" Nitrus demanded, hobbling down the steps on his wounded leg.

"Nitrus, not now," Thundra said. "Let's just be glad the kids are all safe."

"No!" Nitrus bellowed. "I want to know right this minute why immediately after your hearing you took off as soon as our city is attacked!"

"Maya said she saw a dragon that looked like Certo here, so he came to investigate," explained.

"Oh, so it was a friend of yours?" Nitrus's eyes were wild with anger. "Not only did you nearly destroy our entire city, but you brought an entire group of savages to us! Whom, might I add, killed several dragons out there today as well as wounding dozens more!"

"Nitrus, that's enough!" Thundra shrieked. "This is not the time or place to be discussing this." The ice guardian snorted, covering Certo and Crona in a thin layer of frost. The ice guardian turned to leave but Amp and Terra stayed where they stood.

"Ampus. Terra. Let's go," He growled.

"We'll be right there Daddy," Terra replied. "We're just going to help Certo..."

"Now!" Nitrus fumed, sending a flurry of ice particles into the air. Amp and Terra jumped in surprise as the guardian turned to glare down at them. "Leave him. He's nothing but trouble for us."

"That's not true!" Amp protested. "He hasn't done anything wrong!"

Nitrus fixed Amp with his cold stare and bared his teeth. "Amp, you are my future son-in-law. I have to live with that because I made a promise to your parents. But your title of guardian is up to me. If you insist on endangering this city by sticking up for this feral menace then I will have no choice but to relieve you of your duties and title!" Everyone's eyes grew wide at that.

"Nitrus!" Thundra gasped.

"Daddy, that's not fair! Amp isn't a bad dragon! You know that!"

The lightning dragon found himself torn between his title as a guardian and his duties to help others. Certo sensed the young dragon's distress and grunted loudly as he forced himself to his feet.

"Well we can't have that now can we," He huffed. "Amp, go on. I'll be fine."

"C-Certo?" Amp looked back at the black dragon with tears forming in his eyes. He felt like his limbs were bound with no way out where he could win. 'B-but... I..."

"You've stood up to a guardian for me before. I'm repaying the gesture." Amp felt the hot tears stream down his cheeks and he was forced to bite his lip to keep from crying out loud. Certo jerked his head slightly urging him to go along with his family.

"I'm sorry Certo." Terra sobbed. "I'm so sorry."

The black dragon shook his head. "I'm getting used to it." He and Crona watched as the family exited the garden area. The sounds of Nitrus's angry ranting died away as they trudged down the hill.

"You know, you shouldn't have to get used to others looking down on you," Crona finally said after a long moment. "It shouldn't even happen in the first place."

"I know." Certo nodded. "But it still does." He gave a painful groan and collapsed on his side.

"Certo! Are you okay?" Crona cried, immediately leaning down next to him.

"Just... beat..." Certo sighed, his eyelids drooping.

"Certo, you can't die on me!" Crona pleaded.

"I'm not dying!" The black dragon wheezed. "I just need... to rest..." Crona placed a paw on the black dragon's side as he relaxed into the grass. Blood still flowed from his open wounds, staining the grass and mud with red. Crona could feel Certo's heart beat against her paw. It felt good; strong. The white dragoness sighed and curled up beside him and draped her neck over his shoulder. She tired to think but the thoughts would not come easily.

Certo twitched in his sleep. "Neros..." He whimpered. Crona sighed and closed her eyes as she felt exhaustion begin to take over as well.

"What now, Certo?" She muttered to herself. "What do we do now?"

When Certo awoke it was dark out. The sky was covered in shadowy, ominous clouds as if a storm were coming. The black dragon lifted his head and cracked his sore neck. Every part of him ached and cried out for him to stop moving.

The first thing he noticed was the dead silence. Nothing moved except the wind. Not even the sounds of the night life; bugs chirping, owls hooting, or bugs buzzing.

The second thing he noticed was that he was alone. He remembered Crona being there when he had passed out before, but there was no sign of the white dragoness now. Certo looked around in the limited moonlight for any sign of a struggle that may have forced her to leave him but found nothing had changed since he had been asleep.

With a loud grunt, he got to his feet. His entire body screamed for immediate alleviation. But any sort of relief would not come soon.

"Not as long as he's still alive," Certo growled to himself, forcing himself to climb the stairs. After the first four he stopped and caught his breath. There was no way he could force himself through more physical anguish by climbing the last dozen. After thinking about it for a moment Certo gritted his teeth against the aching and stabbing pains coursing through his body until he reached the top. "No pain... no gain..." He wheezed, nearly collapsing where he stood. He poked his head out of the fenced off garden area and to find the city to be completely dark. Not even so much as a lantern was on in any of the pavilions.

Slowly, Certo made his way down the hill. All around, he could sense the fear of the city dragons as they huddled together inside their homes. Certo found himself feeling even more alone than he had before.

"Even having that know-it-all-pain-in-the-tail was better than no one at all." He muttered to himself as a chill swept through him.

As Certo walked on he began to notice some pavilions barricaded by walls of ice or rock by their respective owners. The sight made him feel even more dejected and he turned his attention towards the street under his feet.

Certo soon came to the council chambers again. All around he could smell blood; draconic and ape alike. The smell of the apes was one that Certo did not wish to remember. He could see the stains left by the fallen in the street and on the walls where several bodies had been flung during the fight. Certo sighed, rustling the leaves in the trees, as he wondered how many dragons had died or been wounded like he had been today. One wounded was too much for him to bear thinking about. The black dragon bowed his head as tears streamed down his cheeks as he made a silent prayer and apology for the dragons who may have died earlier that day.

The sound of echoing voices caught his attention. Certo looked into the dark halls of the council chamber. The voices were coming from the conference room. Steadily, he slipped inside the great iron doors; padding slowly down the hall, making sure his claws did not click against the marble floor. This was the only building with torches lit. The shadows of the halls danced wildly, making Certo's eyes bounce around wildly, expecting a figure to pop out of nowhere.

"Nitrus, you're being unreasonable!" Kia's voice echoed down the hall.

"How am I being unreasonable?" The ice guardian bellowed. "I am just trying to protect my family and look after our home that has been put in danger!"

"But you're holding Certo accountable for that and he's neither the cause nor the source of the attack! And you know it!" Kia shot back.

"We don't know that for certain," Volcanus spoke up.

"I don't believe he was." Certo froze when he heard Crona's voice.

"Then you're just as guilty for standing by him!" Tectonica snorted.

"I'm actually being reasonable and using my head, pebble-brain!" Crona spat. "You've never liked Certo so you shouldn't have any say in what we're talking about."

"Why, you little bitch!" Tectonica rose off her pedestal and raised her paw to strike Crona.

"Tectonica, stand down!" Volcanus ordered, surprising the earth guardian. The dragoness looked down at Crona as if debating whether or not to listen but eventually turned back to her seat. "And Crona, you had best watch your tongue."

"I watch my tongue with those who deserve it." Crona glared at the fire breather. "So far, I have more respect for Certo than most of you put together." She turned to face the ice guardian. Amp's seat beside him was vacant. "Nitrus, I have no idea why you've been so bent against Certo but you don't strike me as the type to be judgmental. You weren't against me when your daughter and Amp found me wandering around alone in the woods so why against Certo when he was nearly half dead when we rescued him?"

"You wouldn't understand. You're too young," Nitrus growled, averting his eyes.

"Oh, am I?" Crona demanded. "I've been around a lot longer than you think and I've been through a hundred times more than all of you will in your lifetime! Try me!"

"Nitrus does not have to disclose his personal information if he does not wish to," Volcanus spoke up.

"Well then, I'll just ask Sin." Crona said, turning towards the oracle, catching him by surprise.

"You cannot simply address the oracle unless given consent," Tectonica snapped.

"Yes, I can," Crona said, glancing at her out of the corner of her eye. "Watch me." She looked back to the short white dragon before her. "So Sin. Isn't it true that you can see the future and therefore advise the council here on the course of action they should take?"

"That's true." The oracle nodded.

"And I'm guessing you're the cause behind this whole fiasco with Certo. I mean, you did make a prediction, I'm guessing, that involved him, and that's why Nitrus and everyone is so uppity about him." Sin nodded. "So, since Nitrus won't tell me what's going on, why don't you tell me?"

"He doesn't have to!" Tectonica snarled, getting out of her seat again.

"Why not?" Crona turned to look at her. "What he predicted seems to be pretty common knowledge around this city unless of course you're either me or Certo. So it's only fair that we know what's going on. Right Sin? Isn't that the dragon way?"

"Very well." Sin nodded.

"Sin, you do not have to give into this girl's demands," Volcanus spoke out, sounding rather desperate. "She cannot force you to do something you do not wish."

"I know." Sin nodded. "I do not wish to hide anything from Crona. She is a seeker of knowledge. A sharp mind. I want her to know." He turned back to look the white dragoness in the eye. "The story goes like this. With every new born that arrives in this city, the parents come to me to have their child's fortune told."

"Gee, I can only imagine what you said about Titanus." Crona scoffed, glancing at Volcanus across the room.

"That is another story." Sin shook his head. "When Nitrus came to me, shortly after Terra had hatched, I saw a glimpse of the future. A great conflict with the apes. A struggle for dragon survival that would last for over a thousand years. His daughters would be caught in the middle of it. But the conflict would not start until a black dragon infiltrated our city and attempts to rid the world of its sins."

"And that was Certo?" Crona raised a skeptical brow.

Sin shook his head. "I never said it was."

Crona whirled around on the guardians. "Well now, this whole bit makes sense!" She exclaimed. "You all thought that trouble would start as soon as you saw a black dragon in your city."

"Sin said that..." Nitrus started but Crona cut him off.

"He said the conflict would start when a black dragon infiltrated the city! I don't think finding Certo half dead and bringing him back counts as him infiltrating anything!"

"That is true." Kia nodded.

"And did any of you stop to think that there's more than one black dragon in the world?" Crona demanded, using Amp's earlier argument. "Just because Certo is a black dragon doesn't mean he's the black dragon that's supposed to bring about this war. You know, the war I warned you all about. But I'm over that."

"So you're basically saying that you're an oracle yourself?" Cryus asked, staring at Crona with a new air of interest.

Crona only continued to glare at the faces that stared at her. She was still not about to trust these dragons with the information of her past.

"Well, young dragoness," Volcanus asked, shuffling his paws rather impatiently. "What do you suggest we do? The damage has already been done."

"No thanks to any of you!" Crona pointed out. "You all ostracized Certo and cared nothing about how others treated him. Then when someone pushed the wrong button you claim it was Certo's fault and now this attack happens, which was none of his fault to begin with, you start to wonder how this could have been avoided." Crona sighed and turned away from the guardians. "I don't think anything I say will sit with you long enough to actually do any good. So as much as I hate to do this, I'm going to let you so-called guardians lay in the bed you've made. This will be your mess to clean up, even if it takes a thousand years."

"That's it?" Cryus demanded. "You're just going to lecture us then leave us hanging?"

"That's the idea." Crona nodded.

"That doesn't make any sense! You were so desperate to help us before when you were talking about the war. Now you won't help us at all?"

"You couldn't even help yourselves!" The white dragoness snapped, instantly silencing the water guardian. "I'm not here to babysit you all through every battle of this coming war only to have things remain the same! I already told you once about my experiences and I won't tell you again!"

"I think we've heard quite enough." Volcanus raised a paw. "Right now I think the main issue we need to focus on right now is what to do with Certo." Volcanus looked to Crona. "You say he's asleep in the upper gardens?"

"When I left him he was fast asleep." Crona nodded. "I don't think he'll wake up anytime soon. He's pretty badly injured. I had to dress some of his wounds before I left him."

Outside in the shadows of the hallway, Certo looked himself over. He hadn't noticed before but there were several of Thundra's medicinal leaves plastered to his body. He ignored the bandages and continued to listen in.

"I say we banish him." Tectonica suggested. "That's the least he deserves for the deaths that occurred today."

"For once I agree." Nitrus growled.

"Banishment?" Crona almost squeaked. "He didn't do anything!"

"We can and will hold him accountable for the dragons that have been slain in our city's streets," Tectonica hissed. "We could even have him face a public hearing which I'm sure will only incite a more severe punishment."

Certo had heard enough. He turned and slipped back down the hallway, emerging once again into the chilly night.

"I'm not going to let any more dragons die because of me," He muttered to himself. "They don't deserve to suffer for something that they didn't do." He looked to the moons in the sky. "Neros, I'm going to kill you."

"Who's Neros?" A sudden voice caused Certo to whirl around with his tail blade. Sabre stood frozen in fear as the black dragon's blade pressed against her throat.

"Sabre," Certo gasped, realizing he had frightened the dragoness. "What are you doing out here? It's not safe."

"I could say the same for you," Sabre replied as the blade was lowered from her throat. "I saw you pass by my home and was able to sneak out and follow you."

"You shouldn't have come here, Sabre," Certo hissed. "It's not safe to be around me."

"But why? There was nothing wrong with it before."

"Things change, Sabre." Certo turned away and started walking towards the edge of the city. "I'm going away. And I don't think I'll ever be back."

"You're running away?"

"I'm hunting down the one responsible for everything that happened today. I'm going to find Neros and then I'm going kill him!"

Sabre stared at Certo with eyes wide in horror. "You don't mean that!"

"I'm dead serious about it!" Certo growled. "Think of it as a favor for all of you. No one around here likes me anyways or wants me around to begin with."

"That's not True Certo!" Sabre cried, tears beginning to shine in her eyes. "I like having you around!"

"But being around me just causes you more grief and may eventually get you killed." Certo sighed.

"I don't believe you," Sabre hissed, stepping in front of him.

"Oh no? Look at what happened to your home. You're lucky you weren't hurt yourself, much less killed."

"That wasn't your fault!" Sabre shook her head, throwing the tears in every direction. "Ulu and the others told me what happened. I don't blame you for what happened at the academy."

"But everyone else does," Certo growled, bringing his snout closer to hers. Sabre stared into Certo's eyes pleading with him not to leave but the black dragon's mind was set.

"So that's it? I'm never going to see you again?"

Certo shook his head sadly. He hated seeing girls cry. But right now was not the time to dwell on Sabre's tears. If he let himself feel for her, she would only be in more danger. "Goodbye, Sabre." The black dragon spread his wings as the wind picked up beneath him. Sabre shielded herself from the sudden gust as the black dragon lifted himself into the air. When the breeze had died away, she looked up to see Certo heading in a southwestwardly direction. The ice dragoness could no longer hold her tears back and collapsed in the middle of the street, sobbing silently to herself.

"Consider this a favor, Crona," Nitrus muttered darkly. "I am not happy about putting my daughters in danger. But I'm hoping that by removing him from this city we can still avoid this great catastrophe ahead of us." He glanced at Sin who remained motionless.

"Where will he go?" Crona demanded. "He has no one to look after him. No one to be with!"

"From what you've mentioned earlier, he seems to prefer the life of a vagabond," Volcanus pointed out, throwing Crona's earlier words back in her face. "I do, however, disagree with Tectonica and Nitrus."

"What?" Both guardians snapped their heads towards the fire breather.

"If we let Certo go, then there may be a chance he will bring the apes back to attack our city once again. We will have him imprisoned here under strict guard at all times."

"And what if what you say is true?" Kia asked, a deep tone of disgust in her voice. "If Certo really is the reason the apes attacked, then what will we do when the apes come back for him?"

"We will destroy them." Volcanus growled. "We dragons are the superior race. We will not let a measly group of savages be our downfall."

"And that's exactly why you're going to spend a thousand years at war." Crona pointed a talon at the blue dragon. She turned to leave but stopped at the great iron doors to think. After a second she turned to look at Volcanus and Tectonica. "I know about what's going to come. And I hope that for every dragon that dies a painful death, for every hatchling that is murdered before they even have a chance at life, for each light that's extinguished, I want you to think of this face." She pointed a talon to herself. "You're a disgrace."

The council watched her go without a word. Tectonica glared at the white dragoness before looking to the fire guardian. "I think you're too lenient with that one. She speaks to you like you are nothing more than a hatchling yourself." Volcanus only growled softly.

Crona continued to grumble to herself as she walked out of the council chambers. The sudden chill from the night air caused her to shudder and fold her wings closer to her body. She was used to being outside at night but the chill had never gotten to her this much before.

"It's not his fault," She muttered to herself as she trudged up the hill. "He's not responsible for any of this." Her mind was flustered and filled with questions; all of them about the black dragon she thought she knew so well up until a few days ago. Crona stopped and looked up the hill. The once towering academy now looked like many of the countless dragon cities that would fall in the coming generations.

The dragoness sighed and continued walking until she reached the gardens where she had left the black dragon. As soon as she entered the ruined site she felt another chill run up her spine. "Certo?" The black dragon was nowhere to be seen. Crona bounded down the steps to the lower lawn, searching frantically for any sign of him. "Certo!" A small imprint was left in the grass where she had left him; it was cold. "Certo, where are you!"

"You won't find him here."

Crona whirled around. Standing at the top of the steps was Sabre. The ice particles on her face glistened like crystals in the moonlight. "Sabre? What are you doing here? It's not safe out for you."

"Funny," the ice dragoness remarked as she descended the steps. "That's what Certo said too."

"Certo? You've seen him? Where?" Crona asked taking a step closer to the dragoness.

"We talked outside the council chambers."

Crona's eyes grew wide. "Certo was there?" Sabre nodded. Crona bit her lip. If Certo had overheard what had went down at the council chambers then he surely knew about the guardian's choice to have him imprisoned or banished. Crona looked up at Sabre and realized the ice particles on her face were frozen tears. "Sabre, what did Certo say to you?"

"Huh?" The ice dragoness snapped out of her private thoughts.

"You said you talked with Certo. What did he say?"

"He... he said he was leaving... and that he was never coming back."

Crona's heart skipped a beat. She remembered when Certo had first woken up, how he had tried to take his own life. "He wouldn't do that again would he?" She whispered to herself. "He couldn't..."

"Crona?" Sabre looked at the white dragoness with a raised brow.

"Sabre, you have to tell me! Did he say where he was going?"

"N-no." The blue dragoness shook her head.

"Did he say anything at all? Did he say what he was going to do?"

Sabre felt numb all over. Part of her could not comprehend what was going on around her. It was as if everything she once knew was crashing down on top of her.

"Sabre, please!" Crona urged taking another step towards her. "He had to have said something! It's not like Certo to be completely silent in a situation like this!"

Sabre looked into Crona's eyes. They seemed to be glowing in the moonlight. Sabre sucked in a deep breath before breathing a cloud of frost from her maw. "He said something about finding someone...Neros I think it was..."

"Neros?" Crona remembered hearing the name earlier that day.

Sabre shrugged. "I don't know. He said he was going to find him... and... kill him..." The dragoness's voice was beginning to break.

"That doesn't sound like the Certo I know."

"I know." Sabre nodded. "I couldn't stop him. I didn't think he was serious about leaving... but he did..." Sabre's tears were beginning to flow again.

"Do you remember which direction he went?"

Sabre looked to the sky and studied the stars for a long moment. You see that constellation?" She pointed to a small cluster of blue stars and Crona nodded after squinting up at the sky. "That was the direction he was headed in."

"Got it." Crona nodded and started climbing back up the stairs. Sabre followed her out into the streets silently.

"Crona," the dragoness murmured. "Would I be able to go with you?"

The white dragoness stopped for a moment before shaking her head. "No. It's best you stay here. It could be dangerous and I don't want your family to worry."

"But I can be there for Certo when you find him."

"I have a feeling that won't help much." Crona shook her head sadly. "Most likely he doesn't want others to be around him right now."

"Oh." Sabre looked down at the ground. After another moment she looked up at the white dragoness. "You know, I'm envious of you and Certo. He has you there... because you know him so well... me... I just... like him... and he's..."

"Just hard to understand," Crona answered. Sabre nodded. "You know Sabre, I thought I knew Certo completely earlier. Before the incident at the academy. But now... I'm not so sure any more."

"What? Why?"

"Because everything has changed. He's changed. It's like his personality up until now has just been a facade, to hide what's really been going on in his head. And I don't know why... but... I feel like I understand what he's going through."

"I see..." Sabre looked at the white dragoness for a long time. She did in fact envy Crona's knowledge of her school crush. "Crona, would you do me a favor?"

"What is it?" Crona asked, breaking her gaze from the stars above.

Sabre was silent for a minute. "Take care of him. For me? I want him to come home safely."

Crona stared into the young dragoness's eyes. They were pleading with her, but for much more than what she had asked for.

"I will."

"You promise?"

Crona sighed and rolled her eyes. "I promise."

"Thank you." Sabre wiped a tear away. "It means more than you know."

Crona bobbed her head, trying to understand the young girl's feelings. "I'd better get going. I can't let Certo get too far ahead. Otherwise I may not find him before it's too late."

"I guess you should." Sabre nodded. The white dragoness shook the chill from her scales and leaped into the air. She beat her wings, hovering over her former classmate. "Good luck, Crona." The white dragoness smiled before turning and flying towards the southwest.

"I have a feeling I'm going to need it."


	19. Chapter 19

The stag took another mouth full of the lush, long grass that spread across the fields of the late summer. Ripe green grass was hard to come by this time of year and most of the remaining pockets throughout the meadow had already been picked clean.

As the male deer continued to graze, Certo crouched down low to the ground as he crept towards his prey. He got within ten yards of the buck before the creature's head shot up. Certo froze. He hadn't made a sound as he stalked through the grass, and there were no obstacles to hinder his approach.

It was then he noticed that the wind had changed direction. Rather than creeping into the wind, it was blowing his scent towards the stag. The black dragon cursed to himself. He thought he had been controlling the flow of the wind up until that point. Maybe he had let his mind wander and get distracted. Right now he had a kill to make before his prey got away.

Certo's muscles tensed and he took in a deep breath, ready to stun the buck with a sonic blast if needed. Just before he sprang into action the deer turned to flee. All of a sudden a dragon leaped up from the long grass on the opposite side of the deer. With a savage hiss, the dragon vaulted high into the air, plunging his barbed tail blade into the bucks face as it turned around. The deer gave a gargled cry before falling dead on the ground. Certo stared with wide eyes as the dragon landed nimbly in the long grass, wiping his tail blade clean on the reeds.

"Neros!" He exclaimed.

The albino dragon looked up as if he had not noticed his brother there. "Oh. Hey Certo. I didn't see you there."

Certo only laughed. "My tail you didn't. I'm sure you sensed me through the wind. You could pick up a cricket hopping in this grass."

Neros chuckled. "Guilty."

"Although that explains why the wind changed direction all of a sudden." Certo raised a skeptical brow at his brother. "I could have sworn I had it blowing towards me beforehand."

"Yeah, sorry to use you like that," Neros sneered. "But a dragon's got to survive out here somehow."

The expression on Certo's face darkened and he looked at his twin with sad eyes. "Why did you leave, Neros? It's been three weeks already. The summer is almost over and then the colder months are going to hit."

Neros pretended to not hear him. "Hey, you want to split this? I could eat it all myself but I know you have a job to do for the family."

"Neros, I'm serious," Certo said, pressing forward. "You're my brother. You're my family. I care about you too. I've been worried sick ever since you left. I didn't know if you'd run away for a day a week, or you'd been hurt or even worse, killed."

"Well there's no surprise," Neros muttered. "You're the only one who has ever given a toss about what happens to me." Neros raised his tail blade and proceeded to hack off the buck's antlers. The way he went about it so aggressively bothered Certo; but he chose to remain silent about it. "Quite frankly I'm happy out here, Certo. Away from other dragons. Dragons who don't even care about their own offspring."

"That's not true," Certo protested. "Mom and Dad care... they're just busy..."

"Oh, spare me the pathetic excuses and stop trying to cover for everyone as you always do!" Neros snapped. "You always make excuses up for them and you always make excuses up for me! And quite frankly, I'm sick of it! I don't need your pity. I don't need anyone to look out for me! I've been able to manage on my own without your help for years now!"

Certo was dumbstruck. He felt like his brother had just taken his tail blade and stabbed him in the heart with it. "I... I'm sorry Neros..." The black dragon hung his head shamefully. "I... I didn't realize you felt that way."

Neros sighed and shook his head. He walked over and draped his wings around his brother in a comforting hug; something Certo was normally the one to do to him. "I'm sorry. It's not entirely your fault."

"I just didn't want you to feel left out any more than you already were." Certo looked into his brother's ruby-red eyes. "I never liked having to leave you behind."

"Maybe sometimes it was for the best, Certo," Neros sighed, breaking the embrace. He walked back to the buck and finished breaking the antlers off with his tail blade.

"So are you going to come back at all?" Certo asked hopefully. "Ever?"

"Most likely not." Neros shook his head. "I'm glad you stood up for me back there, but the only way I'm ever going to be happy is if I'm away from everyone. I need to find my own life out here."

Certo hung his head. "I understand." He stared at the buck lying in the grass. The hunt was all that had mattered before. But now it just felt so insignificant in comparison to everything else. Certo sighed and started to walk away, his wings and tails drooped sadly towards the ground.

"Hey, don't you want the other half?" Neros called out.

Certo paused to look back at his twin. Tears were welling up in his eyes but he forced a smile. "Nah, you go ahead and take it. It was your kill. And you deserve it."

Neros narrowed his eyes at his twin. "You're not doing this for me out of pity again are you?"

"No," Certo shook his head. "Just out of love as your twin and someone who cares for you."

Neros watched silently as Certo neared the edge of the meadow. "Certo!" The black dragon stopped and turned. "If you want to sneak out at night, I can meet you here. I'm at least willing to do that."

A smile of gratitude formed on Certo's muzzle. "I'll come every night then."

"I'll hold you to that." Neros nodded.

Crona glided down to the forest below. A gentle creek flowed through the trees, providing the dragoness with cold, soothing refreshment. As she drank greedily, she looked up to the sky. It was nearly dawn now and the sun was beginning to break over the great hills behind her.

She had left the city far behind, hours ago. Vast untouched wilderness was all that she could see for miles in every direction. The world looked so beautiful; untouched. But underneath it all she remembered what she was still searching for.

"Certo," Crona sighed and looked through the trees, hoping to see any sign of him in the distance. "He couldn't have gotten that far ahead, could he?" The dragoness thought to herself. She then began to wonder how long Certo had been listening in back at the council chambers. Had he heard the whole argument? Or had he left before she had stormed out on her own? "Most likely he left before I even walked out," She muttered to herself as she bent down for more water.

All around the woods were beginning to stir from their slumber. Birds began to chirp their morning bird songs, and the crickets began to soften their voices until the evening came again. Small animals poked their heads from their burrows to stare curiously at the white dragoness.

"Did anyone here see a black dragon fly by, by any chance?" She asked half-heartedly. The animals remained silent and Crona almost laughed at herself. "I didn't think so."

"We haven't seen any dragons that were black," A small voice replied. Crona turned to see a small family of dragonflies waking up from their mushroom-shaped homes near the creek, just a few feet from where she stood. "But we did see a white one earlier yesterday."

"A white one?" Crona asked raising a brow.

"Yes." The glowing green insect nodded as his compatriots went about their morning hunt for smaller insects. "But nowhere near as pretty as you. More like a yellow, white." Crona's cheeks flushed slightly. She never had been accustomed to receiving genuine compliments about her appearance. "He was heading that way when we saw him. And he was glowing in this strange purple light." The dragonfly pointed in the direction Crona had been heading.

"Purple..." Crona whispered to herself. She only knew of one power that matched the insect's description and what she had witnessed back at the city just before finding Certo in the gardens. "Convexity," She muttered darkly.

"I beg your pardon, miss?" The dragonfly raised a skeptical eye brow.

"I'm sorry." Crona shook her head. "I was thinking aloud. I'm trying to find my..." Her voice trailed off. "Someone who's gone missing. I think he might have come this way during the night."

The dragonfly scrunched his mouth up and shook his head sadly.

"I'm sorry miss. But all of my family was asleep. We didn't see or hear anyone other than the usual night time folk around here."

"That's too bad," Crona said, staring at her talons. Deep down, she was praying that she was on the right track.

"Although," The green insect piped up, tapping his chin. "There was one point in the middle of the night where the night animals were making quite a raucous. Like something had spooked them."

"Something big?" Crona asked eagerly. "Like a little bigger than me kind of big?"

"Possibly." The dragonfly bobbed his head slightly. "Like I said, none of us saw anything but whatever it was, it made one heck of a gust of wind. Shook the whole house." He thrust his head back towards his family's cluster of mushrooms.

"A gust of wind? That had to be Certo," Crona thought to herself. "I think I'm on the right track." Crona smiled at him graciously. "Thank you." She gave a polite bow before taking another quick drink.

"You're welcome," the dragonfly nodded, smiling admiringly at her. "I hope you find what you're looking for, miss."

"Me too," Crona said with a smile. The dragoness spread her wings and leaped into the air, beating her wings hard to gain some speed. "Take care of yourself and family," She called back over her shoulder.

"I will." The dragonfly waved. "You do the same!" Crona was just about out of ear shot but the insect smiled to himself none the less. "Fascinating creature," He murmured softly before continuing his morning hunt.

Certo flew across the night sky towards the field where he had been meeting his twin for the past two months. Each rendezvous had been nothing but pleasure for the black dragon as his brother continued to keep him up to speed on his success living alone in the wild. Neros had not gotten any skinnier since his secession from the family; if anything his lean musculature became more defined and toned due to having to hunt on his own.

As the weeks passed, the brothers had continued to work on exchanging ideas and methods of their special 'wind reading' technique, which was only exclusive between the two of them.

"It's easier if you visualize it then try to control it," Neros suggested as he and Certo sat atop of bluff that looked out over the valley.

"I don't know. I have an easier time feeling the wind first before I can mentally visualize the current in my mind." Certo pointed to his third-eye position on his forehead.

"That's good I suppose since you can see better than I can. But if you wait to feel the wind and it happens to come from an attack, will you be able to react appropriately in time?"

"That's a good point." Certo nodded. "I never thought about that."

"Simplicity, brother." Neros chuckled, elbowing his twin. "Don't think too much about it or it won't flow. As air dragons we have to feel the flow. If it doesn't flow, then it doesn't work. If it's too complex it won't be as effective as we want it."

"I see." Certo looked down the cliff side and continued to ponder over his brother's words.

Being with Neros, Certo felt as if his world were complete. His brother was finally happy, which he had not seen in an extremely long time. But tonight was supposed to be different for Neros. The albino had talked about a secret he had been keeping from Certo, but felt that now he was ready to show him. News of this secret had piqued the black dragon's curiosity, seeing how excited Neros had been about it.

The black dragon was lost in thought when a dark shadow exploded up from the ground. Certo squawked in surprise as the black dragon loomed over him. Ebony snarled angrily and struck Certo across the face with the back of his claws. Certo fell out of the sky and tumbled through the trees before hitting the ground hard. As he struggled to get up off the ground, Ebony dropped down on top of him, bringing his tail down on top of Certo's head.

When the black dragon finally regained consciousness, he was in the darkened main chamber of his home. Certo groaned, catching the attention of the other male dragons. Bronze, Ebony, and Star's mate, Enigma, all stared down at Certo disapprovingly.

"Ugh, wh-where am I? What happened?" Certo moaned, rolling to his feet. His head still throbbed and his neck felt stiff.

"I caught you trying to sneak out," Ebony growled. "You've been unconscious for a couple days now.

"You followed me?" Certo demanded, glaring at his brother.

"Don't get mad at Ebony," Bronze's deep voice rumbled. "He brought it to my attention almost a month ago that you had been sneaking off into the night to do who knows what."

"Probably out searching for Neros, knowing him," Enigma sneered.

"Why are you even here?" Certo demanded of his big sister's mate. "You're not part of this family, so get lost!"

"Certo!" Bronze roared. "You do not talk to superior dragons that way."

"Who said I was talking to a superior dragon?" Certo scoffed at his father's words. Bronze raised his paw to swat his son and Certo readied for it. Just when Certo thought he was about to swing, his father lowered his paw.

"Is what he said true?" Bronze asked, trying to reclaim his patience.

"What does it matter if it was or not?" Certo demanded. "I'm not bugging any of you when I go out so why should any of you care?"

"Because it does affect us!" Bronze snarled. "When you're out on your own, you have no one there to protect you in case you get into a fight with another dragon, a wolf or something worse!"

"Oh, so you can care about me being mauled to death but you can't give two scales to care about Neros!" Certo shot back. "That hardly seems fair."

"He chose to not be a part of this family," Ebony snorted. "It was his choice."

"You made him, you jack ass!" Certo shouted furiously. "Because you had to be a damned shit-monger and teach Ana to look down on him as being inferior, Neros no longer felt like he was part of this family."

"I think that happened long before then," Ebony scoffed. Certo let out an angry roar and lunged at his brother. Ebony jerked his head to the side just as Certo's claws brushed his cheek. But the younger black dragon whirled around in the air and kicked hard with his hind legs. Ebony fell against his father's shoulder as Certo turned on Enigma, who was joining in the brawl.

Enigma was a dark grey dragon who controlled the element of ice. His eyes were deep violet with all the chilling personality of his icy breath. The ice dragon opened his jaws wide as a cloud of ice burst from the back of his throat. Certo inhaled quickly before blowing the frosty air back into his in-law's face. The ice particles froze over Enigma's face, catching him off guard and cutting off his air circulation through his nostrils.

As the ice dragon pawed away at the crust of ice that covered his head, Ebony and Bronze lurched for Certo. The younger, faster dragon rolled to the side as Ebony's claws rushed past him. Certo kicked his hind legs hard, knocking Ebony's head into his father's. The loud thud caused both males to howl angrily. Certo paused for a split second to hover in the air before beating his wings to avoid a swipe from Enigma's jagged tail. The angry roar of the males echoed down the tunnels of the cave as Certo flew out into the blinding sunlight and into the distance to find his brother.

The day turned into night. Before long, the white dragoness began to feel the weight of exhaustion pull against her wings.

"Dear ancestors," Crona groaned in almost a whine. "How could I have been flying all night and day, yet still find no sign of that dunce!?" She could feel the throbbing of her body as she flew on into the night. She had tried to ignore the pain before but now her wings and shoulders ached beyond any sort of disregard.

She could not take any more flying. She had to stop and rest; even if that meant possibly losing even more ground to the missing black dragon. As Crona glided down to the ground, she began looking for a soft place to lie down and sleep. She spotted a large pile of leaves beneath a particularly thick maple tree. The white dragoness made a beeline towards the spot and came in for a landing directly into the leaf pile.

But the pile of leaves was a not what it had appeared to be in the darkness. As soon as Crona's feet touched down she felt the pile jerk, causing her to lose her footing and trip forward, landing hard on the ground. She heard the leaves rustle and then a voice call her name.

"Crona?" The white dragoness looked up to see a pair of eyes staring at her out of the darkness; one blue, one red.

"Certo!" She gasped, rolling to her feet. Without even thinking she threw her arms around his neck, pulling him into a hug. "Thank goodness I found you!"

The black dragon hissed angrily. "What are you doing? Get off!" He snapped, shoving her away. "What do you think you're doing? And all the way out here of all places."

Crona stared at him in shock for a moment, realizing what she had done. "I... I'm sorry," the dragoness blushed. She could hardly believe she had just hugged a dragon whom she still claimed to despise. Crona looked up into Certo's stern eyes as he waited for an answer. "I came looking for you. I ran into Sabre and she said that you were running away."

Certo rolled his eyes. "So what? What right do you have to be here?"

Crona could see he was not in a good mood and changed her expression. "I have every right to be here. I was worried about you and wanted to make sure you didn't do anything stupid."

"Like kill myself?"

"Well... yes."

Certo scoffed at her, sending a gust of wind to blow the leaves away. "Well, that's dumb. Since when do you care about what happens to me anyways?"

Crona's cheeks flushed a little more and she had to avert her eyes for a moment. "I know it sounds crazy, especially since I'm not really your biggest fan. But I do care about what happens to you Certo." She turned her blue eyes up to look into his. "As strange as it may seem."

"Well do us both a favor and don't," Certo snorted, pushing past her and walking away from the cover of the trees.

"Where are you going?" Crona demanded.

"Away from you!" Certo snapped.

"What? After all this time I spent flying and worrying my scales off to find you? You're just going to leave me?"

"That's the general idea," Certo growled, looking back at her with his crimson eye. He had learned by now that his bad eye looked more threatening than his normal one. "You just wasted your time coming after me! I don't need you around! I don't want you around! Now why don't you just go home where you belong!?"

"If I could then I would!" Crona shot back on reflex. The black dragon stopped and stared at her curiously but shook his head dismissively. "Certo, you can talk to me! I can understand what you're going through!"

"I don't want to! And no, you can't! You can never understand what I'm going through! No one can! No one will!"

The dragoness hurried after him. "Certo, listen to me!"

"Get lost, Crona!" The black dragon spread his wings and beat them hard. A massive gust of wind struck Crona and sent her screaming and tumbling backwards across the ground. It took a couple minutes for the wind to die down enough for her to open her eyes. When she did, Certo was already turning into a spec in the distance.

"Dear ancestors!" She gasped in dismay. "Since when has he been that fast?" The white dragoness whined as she spread her wings again. They were relieved from the momentary break but now they were going to have to work twice as hard to play catch-up again. "Certo wait!" She cried at the top of her lungs as she chased him into the distance.

"Neros!" Certo hollered at the top of his voice. "Neros!" The forest had been silent for hours, and not only because it was nightfall again. No matter how much the black dragon called his brother's name, or how far he traveled, there was still no answer to his cries.

"Neros I'm sorry!" Certo wailed, on the verge of tears. "It's not my fault! Please Neros! Just listen to me!"

Certo came to the bluff where he and his twin used to sit and talk for hours about their own special technique and their plans for the future. Tears spilled down Certo's muzzle and fell to the forest below the bluffs.

"It's not fair," he sobbed. "It's just not fair." The black dragon lay his head down on his front paws and cried until he could cry no more. Time passed by as a snail's pace, but it felt like it was an eternity to Certo. He sneezed and ruffled his wings against the chill of the early fall night.

"I... I can't stay here..." He whispered to himself. "I have to go home... It's all I have left."

Slowly he got to his feet and looked out across the vast landscape before him. His brother was out there somewhere, but the question was, where? That bothered Certo the most. He had no way of knowing where Neros had been living as he never liked to stay in one area more than once and rarely mentioned any specific areas he could be found.

As Certo flew on towards home he began to wonder if his family would even take him back in anymore. This was twice he had openly attacked his older brother, but it was for a deserved reason.

"Some family I have," Certo grumbled to himself. Up ahead he could see the mountain where his family's cave was. Were they waiting for him? Or had they all gone to sleep and didn't care whether he returned or not? The black dragon changed his course and decided to take the back route into his family's cave. In the forest below, there was a tunnel large enough for even his father to fit through in case the main entrance was blocked. The single tunnel was shrouded in thick forest underbrush, making it impossible for any dragon to spot it from the air or fly to it. Certo landed in the first clearing he could find and continued on foot the rest of the way. Off in the distance he could hear the thundering falls that led down from the mountains and would eventually flow into the silver river, miles away.

After much grumbling about the thick, prickly underbrush, Certo finally made it to the cave entrance. He paused to listen to the wind that murmured through the network of tunnels. He could hear small shuffling noises deep inside and a fowl odor reached his nostrils.

"Ew," he whispered to himself. "What did they kill for dinner? A burrow of skunks?"

Certo ducked inside and crept up the tunnel. The stench continued to get stronger and the black dragon found himself more nauseous with every advancing step.

It wasn't until the smell of blood reached Certo's nostrils that he began to believe his family had killed some fowl-smelling creature and eaten it. The stink had almost turned into a miasma, making the black dragon's eyes water. "Maybe it's a good thing Neros doesn't live here anymore. He won't have to deal with the smell." Certo stuck his tongue out but his particle-sensitive Jacob's gland* only made the aroma that much worse for him.

Soon Certo came to the main chamber of his family's cave. The sounds of low grunts and hooting. Certo's brow raised suspiciously as he crossed the central chamber of the cave. "Mom? Dad?" He called. The noise suddenly stopped. Certo's dragon eyes peered into the blackness of the cave. It was then that he noticed a dim light coming from his parents main sleeping chamber. The black dragon watched anxiously as the light began to grow brighter.

All at once a torch appeared and soon another, and then another. Before he realized it, Certo was looking at five burning torches and the snorting, smelly apes holding them. The bipedal creatures looked surprised to see the adolescent dragon standing before them.

"Neros?" The lead ape asked as if trying to figure out what he was looking at.

"Neros?" Certo echoed back, raising a curious brow.

"It's not him. It's the other one," another ape growled.

"Then let's do away with him too." The lead ape stepped forward, carrying a large bone with a stone spike tied to it.

Certo's heart skipped a beat and he jumped out of the way as the spike slammed into the ground, breaking on impact. Certo whirled around with his tail blade and cut the ape's throat wide open. The invader clutched at his neck as blood spilled across the floor of the cave. The other apes watched as he fell to his knees making only low gurgling noises as he tried to speak. Once the ape lay still, his comrades looked at Certo, who stood ready for the next attacker.

"Get out of my family's home," He growled. The apes dropped their torches and ran down the main entrance. Certo watched them go before stepping around the abandoned torches and into his parents chamber. "Mom? Dad?" Certo walked over to his parents who lay still. "We had intruders in the cave! Wake up!" Certo called. His parents did not move. His family had always been heavy sleepers when tired but this was not normal for them. "Mom! Dad! Wake up! We have intruders in the cave!" Still no response. Certo stomped around to his father's head and prepared to speak when all of a sudden his voice left him.

Certo's mother and father lay dead before him. Their skulls had been brutally bashed in by the apes and their spiked clubs. Their blood and chunks of brain matter spilled from the open wounds and out onto the floor.

"Mom? Dad?" Certo wheezed, trying to find his breath. His throat felt suddenly dry and his body felt cold all over.

Suddenly there was a scream as Star woke up. An ape had snuck up to her and Enigma and attempted to take her newly laid egg away to smash it. The mother dragoness struck the ape on instinct, tearing great gashes across his body. The egg fell and Star snatched it up in her talons almost gracefully.

"Star!" Certo cried, running out of his parents' chamber.

"Certo?" The dragoness called. She scrambled to the back of the room as Enigma barreled out of their chamber.

"What's going on here?" He demanded of the young dragon.

"Invaders!" Certo sobbed. "They killed Mom and Dad!"

"They what!?" By now Enigma was fully awake and looking down at the wounded ape as it twitched and writhed on the ground. He pinned the creature and lowered his head towards it. The ape almost whimpered as he felt his legs break beneath the male's weight. "Tell me creature, what are you? Are there others like you?"

"Yes, there are." The ape bobbed his head once.

"What's going on out there?" Ebony's sleepy voice called from the adjacent chamber. A startle hoot came, as another ape preparing to perform its act of genocide jumped in surprise. Ebony's eyes snapped open in time to see the little creature step back, carrying a blade made from some creature's lower jaw and teeth. Before Ebony could make a move, the ape lunged forward, plunging his blade into his skull. Ebony gave a short howl and fell dead at the barbarian's feet.

"Ebony?" Siren lifted her head and looked down at her dead mate in the torchlight. "Ebony!" She screamed, immediately getting to her feet. The ape howled and sprang into the air before grabbing onto the dragoness's throat.

In the main chamber, Enigma looked up at the sound of Siren's scream as the ape plunged it's long fangs into her soft, warm neck. In a lightning fast motion, the ape Enigma had pinned latched onto his face and dug his claws deep into his skin. The ice dragon reared high onto his hind legs, tearing at the ape. The beast bit and clawed at the dragon's face with everything he had.

"Get it off of me!" Enigma shouted furiously blowing ice into the air.

"Enigma!" Star cried, suddenly appearing out of their chamber. She swung her tail and cut the ape clean in half with her tail blade. Enigma collapsed, clutching at his bleeding face. "Enigma, are you alright honey? Tell me what hurts."

"Everything!" The dark-grey dragon growled. "That little vermin!"

Star draped a wing around her mate and glanced at her younger brother. A moment later, Siren staggered out of her chamber. Tears streamed down her eyes and blood flowed from the several bite marks on her neck.

"Ebony's dead!" She sobbed. She dropped the ape's mangled body onto the floor and glared at it. "What the hell are these things?"

"Apes," A sinister voice replied from the shadows, making all the dragons jump. The single figure was partly illuminated by the fallen torches in the room

"Neros?" Certo gasped. "You're back!" Certo exclaimed, running over to his brother to give him a hug. Neros only stared at his two sisters and brother-in-law who stared at him with perplexed expressions.

"You've run into these creatures before?" Star asked as she helped Enigma stand. His face was dripping with blood and his left eye was swollen shut.

"Yeah." Neros nodded. "Rather vicious when you first meet them. But when you learn to talk to them they can be quite easy to persuade. "

"What do you mean?" Siren asked.

Neros smiled. "I'd explain it. But you won't be alive long enough to care." Certo looked up as a group of apes lumbered up behind his twin. The baboons hooted and howled, brandishing their crude weapons.

"Certo, get away from him!" Star shouted but Neros struck with his tail blade, his barbs digging into Certo's rib cage. The black dragon screamed in pain and collapsed onto his hind legs. Neros stepped away from his twin and looked down with a look of satisfaction.

"Kill them all," He ordered and turned to leave. "This poor excuse of a family hardly deserves the right to live." Without missing a beat, the apes leaped forward. Enigma opened his jaws wide, freezing several in a single breath. Siren moved closer to Star who swatted several of the filthy invaders away, tearing their puny, weak-limbed bodies to shreds with her long talons.

All at once a scream and an excited bark came from the front of the cave. Certo's head shot up as he recognized the cry.

"Ana!" He shoved past Neros and ran down the tunnel, past his chamber and to his little sister's. Inside, a single ape stood over the mangled body of what had been Certo's four-year old little sister. Certo stood in shock at the sight before him. The ape looked up at him with glowing yellow eyes and grinned, showing his long, disgusting fangs. He lunged for Certo, who was too petrified to move. Suddenly a talon grabbed him out of the way. "Certo, run!" Siren cried, hurling Certo back down the tunnel towards the central chamber where Enigma and Star were fighting for their lives. The ape that had brutally murdered Ana sprang onto Siren's back, stabbing into her with his serrated dagger. The dragoness reared her head back and hollered in pain. The ape pulled her neck back and plunged his dagger into her neck.

Certo watched as Siren's eyes grew wide with shock. She gargled as her life blood spilled from the open wound in her neck. The ape hopped off as her body slumped to the ground, never to rise again.

"No!" Certo hollered.

"Certo, get back here!" Star cried. The black dragon felt another talon yank him back as a cloud of ice billowed down the tunnel, freezing anything in its path.

"You two get out of here!" Enigma ordered. "I'll hold them off until you can get outside!"

"No! You're coming with us, Enigma!" Star protested. "We have to do this together!"

"We will. But right now we need some time. I'm just here to buy it for you." The ice dragon smiled sadly at his mate. "Don't worry, I'll be right behind you."

Star gazed into her mate's bloody face with tears in her eyes. "You'd better." She leaned forward and licked his chin before turning with a terror-filled Certo down the back tunnel from which he had come in. Enigma turned as more apes came bounding into the cave.

"Come on, you stinking dirt bags. Come and get some of this. I'll show you what we dragons can do."

Star and Certo hustled down the tunnel as they heard the sounds of the apes overwhelming the ice dragon behind them. Star stopped for a moment to listen. Enigma's roars had gone silent, but the sound of pursuing apes was drawing closer.

"Run!" She told Certo and gave him an urgent shove with her head. Certo ran as fast as he could, tripping over rocks and roots he had missed on the way in. "Keep going! Don't stop!" Star cried as the sounds of yelps and hoots drew closer.

Certo burst from the cave entrance and into the thick underbrush of the forest again. The branches and twigs jabbed and pricked the black dragon's hide as he rushed on. The wind was cold, but his body felt as if it were on fire. His lungs ached and his heart throbbed. Certo hadn't realized how far ahead he was getting from his sister until he heard her shriek cut through the air.

The black dragon came to a halt and turned around. "Sis!" He cried in a terrified panic. Another scream echoed through the air followed by the apes excited hollering. "No..." Certo shook his head. This was just a bad dream. A terrible nightmare. It had to be. "I... I can..." The sudden sounds of bodies moving swiftly through the underbrush interrupted his thoughts. Three apes dropped from the overhanging branches as Certo turned and fled. All he could do was run. He was no help to anyone. At least not anymore.

"I'm not going to sit by and let others die," Certo growled to himself as he flew on across the night sky. He gritted his teeth in anger as the wind rushed by him. "Neros, I'm going to make you pay!"


	20. Chapter 20

Certo sighed in frustration as he sat at the top of a hill overlooking the landscape before him. The night wind chilled him to the bone and he gave a violent shudder. The cold winter months were already starting and soon he would have to start thinking about taking shelter at night.

The black dragon sneezed as he pondered what to do next. His entire body ached; not just from his lingering wounds but from pushing himself so abusively without rest. He desperately wanted to lie down and sleep, even if it was just for a couple hours. But each time he closed his eyes, he saw the same taunting pair of ruby-red eyes laughing at him.

"I have to find that bastard," he hissed between chattering teeth. The black dragon got to his feet and continued on down the hill at a stiff walk. The plains were covered with crisp green grass out here, meaning water was more abundant year-round. The black dragon could expect to be wet in the morning when he woke up.

Trees scattered the area, giving him some cover from the wind chill. The sound of Certo's teeth chattering distracted him from focusing on where he was going and kept him from paying attention to his surroundings. After a short walk, the black dragon stopped to sit down to shiver some more under the cover of a lone apple tree.

It had not been more than a few minutes before he felt a presence in the wind behind him. Certo glanced over his shoulder to see the white dragoness slowly walking down the hill after him. As Crona drew nearer, she noticed his shivering form in the cool grass beneath the tree. He wore an angry glare on his face, his blue eye staring in her direction.

"Why is he doing this?" She asked herself. "Who is this Neros guy and why is he so bent on killing him?"

She had been following him for some time now, trying everything in her power to get him to listen to her. But each time she had tried to reason with him, he had just blown her away and flown faster, even more determined to get away.

"Wh-why don't you just quit?" Certo chattered. Seeing her made him warm with anger and annoyance. "Why is she always here?" He turned his head until he was fully facing her. "I'm trying to do you all a favor by leaving!" He shouted against the wind. "This is my problem and I don't want your help or your pity!"

Crona stopped in her tracks and narrowed her piercing blue eyes at him. It didn't take much for her to realize that he was far beyond flustered with her but was too tired to run any longer. "Trust me Certo, you don't have my pity and never will." She sat down in the grass a few yards away from him and did her best to cover up the note of hurt in her voice. "I've never wanted to be pitied myself either, so..."

Certo turned his head away from her and gave an angry huff, silencing her comment. A long silence passed between them before he spoke again. "If you're not here to pity me, the why do you insist on chasing after me then?"

"I just..." Crona twisted her head as if his very words had struck her in the face.

"Huh? Answer me that!" His rising temper caused another breeze to blow across the field and his scales rattled in discomfort. He lowered his head and tightened his wings around his body, hoping to protect himself more against the cold. He had always hated the cold.

"I just..." Crona stammered, trying to find the right words to say. "I don't feel like you should be here... alone... I don't know..." She grit her teeth and squeezed her eyes shut, frantically trying to fight off the ever growing sense of despair she felt inside. "Okay, Crona," She whispered to herself. "Calm down." The white dragoness took in a deep breath and breathed in the blue mist. The flowing current of magic was extremely strong here, and it soothed her insides. She had always known what to say or do in any given situation. At least she had up until now. So why was this time so different?

She stared hard as Certo continued to shake like the leaves overhead. Was it because of him? Or the fact that he seemed to be a broken spirit much like herself? "I..." Her voice cracked as she tried to force the words that went against everything she thought she knew about herself; everything she thought she knew about him. She shook her head and sighed in frustration. "I don't know. I don't know what to do anymore. I can't explain how I feel. I just know that I can't sit still knowing that you're out here alone with no one around you."

"This isn't your problem," Certo growled, trying to use the reverberations in his throat to warm himself up. "The only way I can deal with this problem is by myself! That way no one gets hurt! Isn't that what you told me when we first met? Take responsibility for my actions?" He suddenly felt his head spin and his world began to blur. He shook his head and tried to stand but his legs screamed to let them rest longer. "I don't want to see you get hurt because of my problems, Crona." He growled, his breath coming in rapid jets of frost. "I've lost too much already to have that happen again."

"What are you talking about?" Crona asked pleadingly. "You can talk to me!"

Certo paused again as he thought over his next words. He turned and looked straight at the dragoness. "Back at the academy... when I.... I had a flashback when Titanus... I thought you were going to die in front of me... just like..." His voice trailed off; it was too painful to try and talk about his past. "If you knew what I've been through, you could understand."

Crona stared at Certo for a long time, speechless. Never before had anyone, other than her father, tried to shield her from pain and danger. She had noticed the way his body swayed as he stood before her. All at once he slumped against the tree and fell to the ground, dragging his side against the bark. On pure reaction, her legs carried her the last few feet to him and immediately had a wing draped over his trembling body. His teeth were chattering so loud, Crona wondered how he was even able to speak.

The black dragon stared at her, bewildered and completely baffled by her sudden gestures of compassion. He even noticed a single tear slide down her soft, white cheeks and down her chin before plopping onto his left paw. It was warm.

"Stop it, Certo," Crona whispered. "Just stop it. You don't have to say anything more. I'm here for you."

It took the black dragon another minute to regain his senses. "What's wrong with you?" He snapped as he shrugged away from her. "This isn't like you at all!" As exhausted as he was from the constant running and flying, Certo still persisted on trying to get back on his feet. As he pushed Crona's wing away, the chill stabbed him in the back and he quickly ducked back to the ground, shivering and chattering his teeth loudly. He looked over to see the dragoness's eyes glistening with tears as she stared into his. The sound of her gentle crying hurt his ears and left a stinging feeling in the pit of his stomach. He absolutely hated to see girls cry; especially when it was because of him. But he could not afford to care; not for anyone.

Certo let out a sigh of anguish as he fought with himself, for what felt like hours, about he should do. He wanted to do something—anything—to make the crying stop.

At last he could not take it any more. He lay his head down and brushed the tears from Crona's muzzle with his snout, before staring at her with a heavy sigh and a disgruntled look. "Why are you crying?" He asked quietly. "Be honest with me."

Crona stared at Certo with her mouth hung open. The sudden reality of the situation had finally hit her as he brushed the last of her tears away. She had been crying; in front of someone she could hardly call a friend, let alone anything positive. For the first time in years she had felt the uncontrollable need to shed her tears in front of another who shared her pain. Crying was usually something she kept strictly to herself so no one would notice and intervene.

"I... I'm sorry," She stammered, turning away to hide the sight of her flustered cheeks. "You... you're the first to... at least... s-since Arcadia died... I've...." She was trying to gather herself and relieve herself all at once but to no avail.

"Arcadia," Certo thought to himself. He remembered hearing her say that name before when talking in her sleep. He had suspected this Arcadia was a dear friend whom the white dragoness had lost to an unknown force.

"I've just..." Crona sighed and took in a deep breath as she prepared her confession. "I've just felt so alone." There. She said it. It felt like it had taken her a thousand years and every last ounce of her will power to admit it openly.

All at once she began to feel light headed as well. She withdrew her wing from covering Certo and stood up to walk off the nausea. However, like Certo, she too was at the point of exhaustion. She collapsed to the ground and stared out at the world beyond. She no longer cared about the cold, or the pain, or the loneliness. She just wanted rest.

Behind her, Certo teetered off balance slightly as he got to his feet. Once he had himself established, he stooped down next to Crona and began to press his snout under her belly. The white dragoness was beginning to doze off when she felt him shoving at her side. She took a quick glance down and realized that the black dragon was trying to carry her.

"N-no! Stop it!"

"Will you sit still?" Certo snapped.

"No! You're too tired, and I'm too heavy! You'll get hurt!" She squirmed as a small fit of panic gripped her heart, realizing that he was not going to back away. As much as she had wanted his acceptance to listen to her these past several days, she had no idea how to handle the situation this had turned out to be.

"If you don't sit still right this instant, then I'm going to drop you! And I won't be held responsible if you hurt yourself!"

That got Crona to stop squirming about on his back. As soon as she did, the panic in her mind subsided.

Now certain that he was not going to drop her, Certo began trudging towards a large cluster of oak trees. "I don't need you to worry about me," He growled as his eyelids drooped. "I can take care of myself." He dragged himself along until he was standing in a patch of soft grass right below the tall oak. Clumsily, the black dragon set her down. He tried to be gentle about it but still managed to accidentally bump her head with his. She winced at the pain but otherwise, said nothing. This had to be the most humiliating time of her life. If anything, she felt that she had been able to take care of herself, yet here he was. The biggest jerk she knew, taking charge and acting in a way that she had not experienced since she was young with her father.

Certo walked around the white dragoness and reached up to the lowest branches of the oak tree. He gave a hard pull with his jaws, forcing himself to use all the energy he had left to break the tough wood. With a loud snap, he was able to snap the branches off half-way and bend them down to the ground. He continued this process for nearly fifteen minutes with Crona watching him curiously. When he was finally done he gave a weary sigh, looking and feeling more worn out than before.

"At least now we have some cover from the wind," He said as he looked around at their makeshift tent before looking down at her. "Are you still cold?"

Surprisingly, the dragoness chuckled and a smile grazed her features. "Aren't you?" The black dragon's head jerked back when he saw her expression change. Why was she smiling all of a sudden? Just minutes before she had been lecturing him as she always did.

"I asked you first," He snorted, averting his eyes. The truth was, he was freezing his tail off but would not admit it to her. But the bashful gesture only succeeded in making the situation more amusing to the white dragoness, and she could not help but giggle a little.

"To be honest, yes. I'm almost expecting my wings to fall of any minute now." She looked up at him in the moonlight and could immediately tell he was even worse off than she was.

Certo turned away, trying not to be amused by her remark, and reared up on his hind legs, placing his front paws against the tree trunk. He began striking the trunk, over and over again. As he continued this, Crona scooted a little bit closer for heat. Her wing brushed against the black dragon's hind legs and he stifled a startled squeak.

After a couple minutes of striking the tree, Certo dropped back on all fours. "Sorry about this," he apologized as he sucked in a deep breath. He gave a strong exhale and the oak branches rustled loudly. The wind swirled around the tree, blowing over the two dragons for a good minute. Certo paused to catch his breath and listened. A few moments later, leaves began to fall. As they gently rained down around them, Certo began packing them into small piles around Crona. "This should help keep you warm."

"Thank you," the white dragoness whispered. She was already beginning to doze off again.

Finally, Certo was able to sit down next to Crona. After checking on her and making sure she was perfectly snug, he settled down himself, nestling into the large pile of leaves. The last remaining loose leaves on the tree fell onto their bare backs. Certo sighed as he looked at Crona in the darkness. The leaves were beginning to warm up around her, making her drift faster and faster into her slumber.

As she drifted off, the last sound she heard was an audible sigh, before a deep, comforting sleep took over at last.

Daybreak finally came. The sun rose steadily over the hills, burning away the morning fog and warming the landscape. Birds began to chirp, small animals emerged to forage for food and the insects began their daily buzzing routine.

Below the cover of the oak tress, Crona and Certo lay fast asleep. Despite the young dragons' quarrels the over the past few days, the two had managed to get some good quality rest. Both dragons were huddled closely together, keeping warm throughout the rest of the chilly night.

As the sun fully emerged over the horizon, its rays of light began to shine through the trees. Before long, the warming light had settled on the two dragons, hitting Certo square in the face.

The black dragon groaned and curled his lip in irritation. He brought a wing up to shield his face and cracked his eyes open to look around. A curtain of oak branches hung over him; their dense leaves keeping out most of the sunlight. Beyond the veil lay the vast tree-speckled meadows. Flocks of birds flew from tree to tree, chasing the insects they hungered for. The small woodland creatures scurried around in the grass, nibbling on dandelions and wildflowers. It seemed as though everything was at peace, as it should be. Certo sighed and turned his head to see Crona curled up next to him.

Seeing her lying so close to him caused his heart to skip a beat. His other wing was draped over her, providing a protective blanket, which he quickly withdrew. The gesture was almost immediately answered by the white dragoness's discomforted whimper due to the sudden chill. Crona's reaction caused her tail to twitch slightly. Certo felt the movement and turned his head to see their tails intertwined; much like the way he had seen Terra and Amp do numerous times.

Certo jumped up, yanking his tail back to himself. What was going on? Did he miss something during the night? Why were they in such an affectionate, cuddly position? Had he been the one to initiate it, or had Crona?

The black dragon suddenly felt dizzy and he slumped against the trunk of the tree. The wind during the night had further weakened the broken branches. When Certo hit the tree, one of the branches snapped, striking him on top of the head with a loud clunk.

"Ow! Son of a...!" The black dragon groaned and fell to the ground clutching at his head.

The sudden movement brought the white dragoness back from a pleasant dream. Ever since her mother's death, her nights had been plagued by nightmares; but tonight had been different. It was the first time she had slept with another by her side. Yet through the entire night she slept soundly and awoke to feeling at peace; like nothing terrible had ever happened.

The sleepy dragoness opened her eyes and blinked several times as the light of day invaded her vision. Beside her, Certo lay on the ground with a large oak branch beside him. He was grumbling and cursing to himself as he rubbed a spot on his head. "What did you do now?" She asked, trying not to chuckle, even though she could already guess what had happened.

"I didn't do anything," Certo groaned, already being put into a slightly bad mood from just waking up. He glared up at the overhanging oaks and hissed irritatedly. "Stupid trees," he growled and knocked the branch away.

"Let me take a look at it," Crona suggested, getting to her feet and peering closely at Certo's forehead. It was hard to tell if there was any bruising but she could see no signs of a bump or scratch of any sort. "Looks like that hard head of yours came in handy after all." She chuckled. "You're clean."

Certo continued to grumble to himself as she stepped away smiling impishly at him. Smiling was something he was not used to seeing with her at all and he felt as if he could not look her in the eye. He let his eyes glide down her figure, taking in her full vision for what felt like the first time. He had never noticed the soft grey spots that peppered her shoulders and thighs before now. They gave her a very gentle, youthful appearance, countered by the elaborately decorated gold breastplate and tail ring. As Crona's tail swung gracefully behind her, Certo noticed a streak of red against her pure, white scales.

"Crona, you're bleeding." He gasped.

"I'm what?" Crona turned her head and looked herself over. Sure enough, she had a single cut along the length of her tail. Blood trickled from it, causing the red line to stretch out longer than it seemed to be. "How did that happen?" She asked curiously.

Certo turned his head and lifted his tail blade. On the edge of his main blade, dripping slightly from his barbs, were several small droplets of blood. His heart sank and he squeezed his eyes shut. He had not been awake for five minutes and already his day was turning out just like the rest of his life; nothing but misery for him and those around him.

"I'm sorry," he whispered and got up to leave. "It's my fault."

Crona's head snapped around when she heard him rise. "Certo? Where are you going?"

"Away from you and everyone else," He replied. "I don't want you to get hurt anymore for just being around me. It's safer for you this way. I'm sorry."

The white dragoness watched him curiously and cocked her head to the side. "Why are you apologizing?" She took a quick glance at her tail, then to Certo's tail blade before putting the pieces together. It almost seemed ridiculous. Hardly any reason worth walking for. "This?" She asked, raising her tail and skeptical brow. The sarcasm itself hung heavy in her voice. "You're leaving me behind here for this?" She almost wanted to laugh at how stubborn he was being. Certo watched as she slid her tail against the wet grass, wiping off the excess blood. When she was done she walked over and held her tail up to show him. The once blood-stained scales were now wiped clean and glistened a brilliant white in the morning sunlight.

Certo paused to examine her tail. It was obvious she was fine, or at least putting on a very well-played facade. But the missive doubt in his mind still remained. "This doesn't change anything," he growled and pushed past her. "If you hang around me, you'll only get hurt worse. And you won't be able to wipe those wounds away as easily." An uneasy sigh escaped from his maw and the wind whined in response. Certo looked down at his own body and the scars that covered his hide. Each time he looked at them, or someone else looked at them, he was reminded of his horrible past and how they had come to be.

Crona watched as he examined himself for a long time. Certo's figure seemed much darker than before. The longer he stared at his scars, the more he felt the hate swell up inside him. He remembered why he had left the other dragons and the dragon city in the first place; to hunt down and kill his brother.

With an angry snarl, Certo stepped out from the cover of the oak trees and into the bright sunlight. "Just do yourself a favor, Crona, and stay away from me! You have no right involving yourself in my business!" He stormed down the small hill and spread his dark wings. The wind began to pick up as his temper soared and he leaped into the air with a mighty flap of his wings. But instead of climbing into the sky, he plummeted towards the ground. He hit the ground hard, knocking the wind out of himself in the process. Certo coughed and sputtered grass out of his mouth as he struggled to get his wind back. When he began to breathe properly again, he looked back over his shoulder to see Crona on top of him, pinning him to the ground with a heated glare on her face.

"Stop it, right now!" She hissed angrily. She stepped off of his back and stood in front of him, blocking his path. "I know you're feeling a lot of pain right now, Certo, and I want to help you. I really do. But if you don't stop and tell me right now, why it is that you're so convinced that by hanging around you, others are going to be hurt, then by the ancestors, I am going to keep you here until you speak!"

Immediately Certo was on his feet, his wings spread wide and his chest thrust out before him. "Is that a challenge, Crona?"

Crona crouched low and sideways, facing him. "Call it whatever you want. I don't back down from anyone. Especially not you!"

A rumbling growl resonated in Certo's throat. The wind continued to blow across the land as Certo's tail lashed at the air. He narrowed his eyes and curled his lips at the young dragoness, showing his sharp teeth. "If you think you can get me to talk with empty threats, then you are in for a rude surprise!"

"Trust me Darky. I never give out empty threats!"

"Such big talk from such a little girl," Certo nearly spat. He may as well have.

That last comment was the final straw for the white dragoness. She was now angrier with him than she had ever been before. With lightning speed, she whirled around and struck with the broad side of her tail across his face. The strike surprised the black dragon, and the blow caused his head to snap around as he staggered back.

Crona took another step forward and struck him again in the face. The force of the hit spun him around, but this time Certo used the momentum to retaliate. With an angry hiss, he caught her aside the head with the flat of his own blade. The dragoness wobbled on her feet, giving Certo the chance to slam her in the side with his shoulder. He was easily a full head taller than she was and possibly fifty pounds heavier. But the amount of force he used knocked her to the ground and sent her rolling through the grass.

An infuriated scream left Crona's throat as she got to her feet again. She dug her claws into the earth and lashed the air with her tail. She kicked hard and charged forward with her horns forward. Certo sidestepped and tripped her as she shot past. Crona squalled in surprise as she rolled head over heels before slowing time to catch herself. Before she hit the ground, she lashed out and struck the black dragon in the chin. Certo was knocked on his back and Crona rolled to her feet again. She pounced on the black dragon, digging her long talons into his shoulders, trying to pin him.

All of a sudden she felt Certo's chest rise beneath her as he inhaled deeply. Crona's eyes widened as he thrust his face towards hers and opened his mouth to release a sonic roar. The black dragon froze as Crona halted time to spring off of him. She backed away several yards before releasing hold of her active power. The black dragon's sonic roar exploded from his throat. Crona felt the deep reverberations thunder in her head and rattle her teeth. The vibrations were so intense she had to shut her eyes before the blood vessels in her eyes ruptured. She heard the startled gasp as Certo looked over to see her standing several yards away from him. Crona opened her eyes to see him scramble to his feet, but she was faster to react. Once again she stopped time and charged into him, nearly crushing his ribs when she hit him.

Certo felt the wind rush out of him and he bounced across the ground. He swung his tail as Crona rushed in again only to hit nothing but air. Another heavy blow came from behind as she pounced on his back, riding his face into the ground. The black dragon roared, sending up chunks of earth, peppering the white dragoness's face. With Crona distracted, Certo reared back on his hind legs and flailed wildly, throwing her off. The white dragoness landed on her feet, hissing with white teeth showing. Certo lunged for her throat. He slashed with his claws which seemed to pass right through her.

"What the...!" He gasped. Crona delivered a hard strike with her paw to Certo's cheek, making him see stars for a second. The black dragon slashed with his tail blade again but hit nothing. "What is going on?" He screamed in his mind. Each time he thought he had her, Crona would somehow evade his attack and strike from a completely different angle.

"What's the matter, Certo?" The white dragoness's voice seemed to be coming from all around him. "Having trouble keeping up with me? Or maybe you're not as tough as you think you are."

"Shut up!" Certo shouted furiously. "Shut up! Everyone just shut up!" The wind suddenly picked up into a swirling whirlwind. Certo thrust his wings open, blowing the white dragoness away. As Crona rolled and bounced across the ground, Certo turned and raced after her, hoping to catch her by surprise. When she came to a halt he sprang into the air with his claws outstretched towards her. Crona opened her eyes and squeaked before flinching. Certo stopped, frozen again by her active power, just inches from where she lay. Crona got to her feet and turned her back to Certo before leaning her upper body down towards the ground. Certo cried out as the white dragoness kicked with both her hind legs, hitting him square in the face.

The black dragon staggered back, rubbing his eyes with the back of his paws. Now that he was distracted, Crona froze time again. She ran several yards away before she began to concentrate. This next blow was going to hurt him enough so that he would not want to fight any more, that much she was sure.

It did not take much effort for her to concentrate on the blue mist that flowed in abundance throughout this area. The magical energy filled her body and spiraled around her giving her white body an almost celestial glow. Crona kicked hard against the ground, kicking up large chunks of dirt as she propelled herself forward, gaining more and more speed.

Certo had no way to dodge the dragoness's attack. She plowed into him with crushing force, sending him flying backwards into a far tree. He felt the bones in his chest crack and the taste of blood filled his mouth as he slumped to the ground. The black dragon was completely baffled as he opened his eyes, struggling to rise to his feet again. Not even Titanus could hit with this much power. How did she do it? He cried out in agony as a wave of pain overwhelmed him.

Across the field, Crona lurked forward like a large cat stalking its prey, waiting to see if it would make a move. Certo fixed her with his crimson eye and she froze. His bad eye and scars across his body suddenly began to burn bright with crimson energy. All of a sudden the glow disappeared as Crona immediately appeared before him, slamming him against the tree and pinning him with her talons. The glow disappeared and Certo heard a loud snap in his chest as the pain intensified from the pressure. He glared into Crona's furious blue eyes. She was always pulling these weird evasive tricks from out of nowhere and getting the better of him. The mere thought of it pissed him off even more.

Crona felt a hard force drive into her soft underbelly as Certo kicked her with all the force he could muster. She staggered back, clutching at her stomach with one paw. Certo collapsed to the ground but kept his eyes fixed on the white dragoness. Crona froze for a moment to think. The sudden sensation of pain in her stomach seemed to bring her back from the pit of rage she had been delving into.

"What am I doing?" She thought to herself. "This isn't right. We shouldn't be fighting like this." Before she could turn to face him, Certo roared, sending a massive updraft beneath her feet. The slashing wind hit her like a ton of bricks and tossed her several meters into the air. Crona was so surprised she had no time to realize she was plummeting towards the ground until it was too late.

The white dragoness struck the ground hard and a loud crack echoed in the wind. Crona and Certo's eyes both widened and the two dragons stopped moving. The sickening snap seemed to ring in Certo's ears over and over as he stared at the white dragoness. "Oh no," he thought to himself as his mouth fell open. Crona lay on the ground staring out at the world in shock. Her breathing was heavy as she tried to regain her senses. A terrible pain shot through her left front leg and spread across her entire body.

"Ow," she whimpered as tears filled her eyes. How in the world had this happened? How had this little petty argument spiral so out of control? How did she get so carried away with anger that she could not stop to even think about the consequences? "I'm so stupid," She thought to herself. "This is so stupid." She struggled to rise, but her broken leg would no longer hold her weight, forcing her to rise on her only good front leg.

All at once she started coughing hard. She felt a sudden discharge from her throat hit the grass in front of her. It was blood. Her blood. She looked at Certo who was frozen in mortified shock; both because of her and his own actions. "I...I'm sorry," she wheezed.

It took Certo a moment to get the feeling back in his body, and he shook his head. "Wh-what have I done?" He gasped as he walked over to her. "What have I done!" He fell before her with tears streaming down his cheeks.

"How could I do such a horrible thing?" He thought to himself before looking into Crona's pain-filled eyes. "I'm a horrible dragon! I'm no good to anyone!" His bad eye and scars began to glow with brilliant crimson energy again. "I didn't mean it Crona! I'm sorry! I really didn't!"

The white dragoness felt the guilt in her heart weigh her down as she struggled to scoot closer to him. On the third try she managed to get close enough to rest her head under his chin. She nuzzled him, as her father had many times before, to comfort him once more.

"I know," she whispered, trying to hide the fact that she was in a severe amount of pain. "I didn't mean it either." Through his sobbing she could hear his labored breathing and a harsh rasp in his lungs. "I'm sorry for hitting you like that."

Certo nearly choked on his tears as he jerked away from her. "You're sorry? What are you, stupid? Or did you hit your head when you fell?" He frowned and clenched his claws tight. "I'm the one who started this whole mess!" He didn't realize it but blood was trickling from his mouth as well. He shook his head in despair, throwing tears everywhere. "It's all because of me! It's always because of me! I can never do anything right! I can never please anyone! Every time I try and do something right, I end up hurting someone without intending to! Everybody suffers because of me!"

Suddenly he was knocked on his back. When he opened his eyes, he saw Crona on top of him, pinning his shoulders to the ground with tears in her eyes as well. Certo only shook his head. He just could not seem to understand this girl. "How?" He wheezed. "How can you even bring yourself to be around me?" Crona was silent. "How? Why?" Certo pleaded. "Why do you continue to chase after me when I've already told you, time and time again, not to? Why are you concerning yourself with me? I'm nothing special! Not to anyone else and definitely not to you!" He closed his eyes and laid his head back; wishing death would come to take him.

Crona only shook her head and smiled down at him. It was forced because of the pain but the feeling was from her heart. For some reason she was powerless to do anything else in this situation which had worked out to be far more confusing to her than anything she had previously experienced in her life.

"Why do you refuse to believe that someone cares for you?" She said in almost a whisper. "I'm trying to care for you right now." She suddenly felt weak. Her eyelids felt heavy. All of a sudden, her legs began to give way, refusing to support her body any longer.

Certo's eyes widened and a wave of fear swept through his body before settling into his heart as the white dragoness collapsed on top of him. "Crona? Crona!" He cried frantically, bringing a paw up to rest on her sleek neck. He could feel her pulse beating strong against his paw pads but right now she was suddenly exhausted.

Slowly the black dragon leaned up and forced himself to endure the pain she had inflicted on him. It was the least she deserved. He kept her close to his body, being sure to watch out for her broken leg as he hoisted her onto his back. He carried her back to the cover underneath the oak tree and set her down under their makeshift tent from the night before. It was only a few yards away but the injury and uphill climb made it feel like miles. At last he set the white dragoness down on the soft nest of leaves, warmed by the sun. The black dragon fell onto his haunches and hung his head in shame as he waited for her to awaken.

When Crona woke up for the second time that day, it was quite different from the last. As soon as she opened her eyes, the world around her seemed to be spinning in motion. The nausea settled in her stomach for several minutes before passing with the flow of energy around her.

Her entire body hurt. She began to think that the terrible fight from before had all just been a dream until she attempted to move her left leg. The pain came rushing back with unrelenting force. Crona bit her lower lip and squeezed her eyes shut again until the initial shock went away.

At last she was able to look up at the black dragon who sat silently beside her, putting her fears to rest. The relief she felt for seeing him safe and sound was indescribable. She wanted to stop him from running off but knew right now she would be powerless to stop him if he tried again. Never before had she so desperately wanted to know what pained him so, wanted to understand him; to be his friend. In the previous days she had already felt like she understood a small part of it.

He blamed himself constantly. He avoided the contact of others and behaved in such way that it was now clear that he had forced himself to in order to refrain from becoming close with anyone. Crona sat for a long time, just staring at him as he gazed off into the distance. At last she decided to try her luck.

"Why do you blame yourself for hurting others?" She whispered.

The black dragon jolted in surprise, snapping out of his trance. He had not expected her to awaken so soon but was relieved to see he had not killed her. Her forearm had become extremely swollen and bruised, and the sight of it made the black dragon's heart sink deeper into despair. His eyes were red and puffy from hours of silent crying. The longer he stared her, the more he felt lost and overweighed with grief and anguish. He had been very antisocial to everyone since that day he had woken up in Terra's home, but now he could restrain himself no longer. It was as if some unseen force was compelling him to tell her.

"I don't want anyone to become close to me," he replied coldly. "Everyone I once loved or cared for is dead."

"I'm sorry," Crona murmured, scooting closer to him hoping it would help ease his pain just slightly.

"Do you know why?" Certo asked, pretending to ignore the gesture. Crona shook her head. "It's because of Neros." Certo sighed and dug his claws into the earth. "He killed them! He had them all killed! Right before my very eyes!" His scars began to light up with crimson energy again, but softer this time. "He had those damned dirty apes slaughter them in our own home. My mom and dad. My older brother and his mate. My sister and her mate. Even my little sister was murdered in cold blood!" He turned to Crona as tears began to flow again. "And he even tried to have me killed! His own brother! His twin brother! I was his only friend and supporting family member and he even wanted me dead!"

Certo suddenly turned and roared into the trees nearby. The sonic blast shattered the oaks, turning them into piles of splinters. The noise hurt his ears but he could care less about that right now. His chest hurt even more with the effort taken to emit the extended blast, now that he had used his family's signature specialty attack. He slashed the ground, savagely tearing up dirt, grass and leaves. "I know my family was cruel to him, but they didn't deserve to die!" He hung his head and watched as the tears spilled onto his paws. "Even Ana... she was only a little younger than Maya... He had her killed too... She didn't even have a chance!"

"Certo," Crona tried to interrupt but the black dragon was not going to stop until he was completely finished with what he had to say. She wanted him to stop talking about this but this was what she wanted. To know him and understand him. Even if his bone-chilling story did briefly remind her of her own childhood.

"I was the only one who supported Neros over the years. I tried to make sure that he got just as many opportunities to succeed as I did. I was trying to be a true friend to him and treat him in a way that I thought was fair when the other members of my family wouldn't. And now he wants me dead for it." Certo turned to look the white dragoness in the eye with a serious expression plastered on his features. "Crona, before he left me in the gardens back at the city, he made a vow to kill all the dragons of the world. He thinks all dragons are evil creatures who don't deserve to live because we have no sense of community or family. And he's going to start with those he thinks I care about."

"That explains it," Crona muttered, glancing away from him for a moment. "Now it all makes sense why you've been acting the way you have."

Certo nodded. "So do you see why I can't have you around? He'll go after you too! And I can't have anyone else die either..." He shook his head, squeezing the last of his tears out. "Not because of me."

Crona bent her head down in shame. She had felt so bent on helping him before, but now that she fully understood his traumatic story to its full extent, doubt began to plant its seed in the pit of her stomach. No amount of comfort could ever heal a broken heart. She had learned that from personal experience. But what could she do? She wasn't useless to him was she? No, that couldn't be the answer. There had to be a way for them to get around this. After all, she had survived a thousand year war and the end of the world. She stared hard at the ground, thinking about what he had just told her. If Neros was out to kill every dragon he came across, then… "Does it matter?" She murmured, not even realizing she was talking out loud.

"What?" Certo turned to face her sideways again.

"What do you mean what?" Crona deadpanned, her calm expression seemed almost serene. "I'm asking, does it matter. If you brother has decided to kill every dragon in the world, then I'm going to be among the dead sooner or later. What good would it do to live if I can't be happy doing it?"

"But I don't want you to die! Don't you see that?" Certo cried. "You're a smart dragoness Crona! A really smart dragoness! More than anyone I've ever met! But don't you see that while Neros is still alive, you and everyone else are in danger? You have to let me go! I have to kill him before he hurts anyone else!" Certo sighed and clutched at his throbbing chest. It hurt to breathe. "He almost killed Maya back at the gardens. If I hadn't acted as fast as I did, then she wouldn't be with us today." He looked back at her and shook his head. "I won't let you die. Not without a fight and while I'm still around to do something about it."

Crona let out a deep breath she hadn't known she was holding. "I never wanted to die in the first place Certo. And I'm flattered you think that way about me. But I'm not going to stand around here, waiting to be killed or even more so, waiting for him to kill you."

Certo turned away from her; partially embarrassed and otherwise slightly irritated she was not going to back down from her decision. Carefully, the dragoness took a step forward on her good leg, keeping her left tucked close to her body. "Why can I not help you with this? I'm not helpless, you know." She almost laughed out loud. "You know first hand I'm not helpless. I know you don't want it, but think about the odds right now. What if you had others to help you?"

Certo shook his head. Amp and Terra would jump at the opportunity and possibly even Sabre and the other girls. But that was about the extent of support he would get. And he was not willing to risk their lives for his purpose. "I could never live with myself if anything happened to you or them. I won't allow them to help, no matter how much they beg. Neros is my family. He's my problem. I'll face him alone. Like you said before, don't involve others in your own affairs when they have the potential to get hurt." He looked down at Crona's swollen forelimb. It was beginning to turn blue and purple against her white scales. "I wasn't even fighting Neros and you've already gotten hurt... because of me..." He brought his eyes up to hers. She had not moved her gaze from his face. "Why do you feel the need to care about me? I'm just not worth the time and effort."

"So a dragon who doesn't want to see others suffer a horrible future, is not worth caring for? Not worth my time?" Crona shook her head. Under normal circumstances she would have been fed up by this point but part of her concentration was being focused on suppressing the pain in her leg. "Please, Certo, don't make yourself less important than you are. You mean a lot more to more dragons than you think."

"I know!" Certo snapped suddenly but quickly lowered his voice. "I know how many others claim to care for me. But I've tried to keep from caring about them so I wouldn't have to deal with the pain of losing anyone close to me ever again."

"Sometimes it's unavoidable." Crona shook her head, looking down at her leg. "I've had to learn that the hard way. I'm still not fully sure I can't do something to change the outcome. But I try to make at least some sort of difference."

"I'm tired of everyone hurting. I hate that I can't help anyone."

"You can help someone by letting them into your life," Crona said softly, locking her eyes with his. "And you can stop the pain by letting them help you when you need it most."

Certo sat speechless before her. Her fierce baby-blue eyes now seemed so gentle and compassionate it almost frightened him. The wind began to moan through the trees again as he stared at her. She had meant every word that came out of her mouth, even though personally, the white dragoness was making a mental note about her advice for her own purposes. Certo fought with himself for several minutes. Despite their tendency to disagree on every issue that passed between them, he trusted Crona more than anyone else at this point in his life. But was he really willing to take a risk and let her get involved in his affairs? Was it really worth possibly losing her just to put an end to the madness Neros was about to unleash?

Crona could see the battle raging behind his eyes and straightened up as much as she could. "So Certo? What do you say? Will you let me help you?"

"I... I..." Certo stammered, unsure of what to say. He had not fully finished his personal debate and was beginning to panic. All of a sudden he felt something move through the wind; something large. Certo turned his head and his eyes grew wide. "Something's coming!" He gasped.

"What? What is it?" Crona asked following his gaze.

A sudden hoot cut through the air. Both dragons stared at one another in wide eyes. "Apes!" No sooner had they spoken than the scraggly baboons appeared. Several had been hiding in several of the tree pockets that had been scattered about the vast meadow while others had been steadily creeping forward under Certo's vision line. The hills were not especially large but they provided enough cover for the evil barbarians to draw closer to their prey.

Certo was on his feet in a flash and Crona stood right beside him. "Stay back, I'll handle this!" He growled. Before Crona could verbally defy him, the first apes bore down on them. Certo lurched forward, ramming the leader in the chest, his head cracking his enemy's chest wall. The ape staggered back, giving enough room for the two on his flank to swing their boned weapons at the black dragon. Certo jumped back towards Crona before thrusting his wing barbs forward, gouging them in the eyes. The apes shrieked in pain and fell to the ground, clutching at their bloody faces. Two more from the group bypassed Certo and went straight for Crona. The black dragon whirled on them, exhaling quickly, sending a gust of wind out to knock one into the oak tree. The other reached for Crona with his free hand while a savage dagger was gripped in the other. Much like before, the ape only grabbed nothing but air. He staggered forward and looked back to where the dragoness had been a split second before.

"Looking for me?" The ape turned his head as Crona leaped into the air and slashed him across the face with her talons. Her opponent staggered back as she beat her wings, just enough to hover off the ground. She pounced on his chest and bit down hard on his throat. With a quick jerk of her head, she snapped his neck, killing him instantly. She looked back at Certo, who watched her in astonishment. "Told you I'm not helpless." She said, giving him a wink.

The first ape Certo had knocked down had gotten his second wind and was getting to his feet again. He reached out and grabbed the black dragon by his tail, yanking him off his feet and into the air.

"Certo!" Crona screamed and beat her wings to get herself airborne. An angry hoot came from behind and she banked sharply to avoid the scythe-like blade that nearly claimed her life. The ape swung again, narrowly missing the dragoness by a sliver. Crona beat her aching wings harder and climbed higher. The ape leaped after her, claws grasping at her frantically, trying to keep her from escaping.

Certo saw the sword prepare to plunge into his flesh. He flexed his stomach muscles, curling hard and fast towards his tail. He had enough force and luck to plunge one of his long horns into the bottom of the ape's skull. The beast fell dead on top of Certo, covering him in his warm blood. The black dragon scrambled out from under the ape's body as more closed in on their position. Several of the apes wielded long spears and went right for Crona, who was hovering at a safe distance out of the scythe's reach.

"Crona, behind you!" Certo grabbed one ape's leg in his jaws, biting hard enough to shatter its ankle. The white dragoness turned and banked hard as three spears shot up at her. Down below, the apes were gathering around the black dragon, who had just gotten to his feet. The ape that he had grabbed struck him across the face with a hard punch, forcing him to stagger back. Another ape behind him lashed out with a knife and grazed the black dragon's shoulder as he sidestepped, sensing the movement in the wind. Certo grabbed the ape's wrist and twisted. The ape howled as his bone snapped. But no sooner had the black dragon plunged his tail blade into his attacker's gut than another ape slashed with his dirty claws. Certo felt a stinging sensation in his sides and struck his tail across the ape's face. The baboons were closing in the space around him, leaving less and less room to move around and fight back.

"No, not again." Crona gasped to herself. "They're going to tear him apart, just like they did to Arcadia." The memory of her friend was enough to make Crona forget about the growing pain in her body and dive down towards the ape with the scythe. "Hey ugly! Come and get me!" The baboon growled angrily, seeing the dragoness lower herself in front of him. He swung his weapon and Crona dodged. "That's it," Crona thought. "Just a little closer."

Behind her, the apes were making a thunderous racket as they piled on top of each other, scratching and clawing to get at the black dragon in the middle of their violent mosh pit. Certo was lashing out with his tail blade, slitting the throats of dozens of his attackers, but the apes continued to scramble over their dead and grab at him.

Crona's opponent howled and swung his scythe from side to side, hoping to cut the dragoness's stomach wide open. This was the strike Crona had been waiting for. She stopped time and flew behind the ape and rammed him towards the cluster of bodies. She released her hold on time and watched as the scythe ripped through several apes. Crona stopped time again and rushed into the break in the crowd of scrambling monkeys. Frozen in time they looked even more horrific with their wild, bloodthirsty expressions and mouths hanging open exclaiming their untamed excitement. Certo was in the middle of gouging another ape in the eyes with his claws.

The white dragoness hobbled over to him and concentrated on the black dragon. All at once Certo's roar rang loud in her ears as he was freed from time's grasp. He ripped the ape's face off and turned to look for his next victim and gasped when he saw all the apes frozen in place.

"Certo," Crona spoke up grabbing his attention. "Come on, this way." She thrust her head towards the opening her clumsy opponent had made in the walls.

"Crona? What's going on? What happened?"

"I don't have time to explain!" She shook her head. "We'll deal with that later, just get out of there! I don't know how much longer I can keep this up!" Certo didn't argue. He squeezed through their cluster of bodies and out into the open. Crona turned as she passed the ape with the scythe. "Hey, take care of him would you?"

Certo stared at the ape and growled. "Gladly." He thrust his tail blade into the ape's gut and tore it wide open. By now, Crona was already limping up the small hill towards the oak trees. Certo followed close to her and turned to look at the apes, still frozen.

"Get ready." Crona warned. Slowly the figures began to move again.

Taking the hint, Certo inhaled deeply, filling himself with as much air as he could. As soon as Crona's time control stopped, Certo thrust his head forward, a piercing roar erupting from his jaws. Dozens of apes were hit by the shock wave; their internal organs ruptured and their skin tearing from their bones. A sudden throb in his chest cut the black dragon off and he staggered forward.

"Are you all right?" Crona cried worriedly.

"I'm fine," Certo wheezed. The apes were looking around in confusion but they quickly spotted the two dragons close by. Certo backed up towards Crona and prepared for the next attack wave.

"We can't keep going like this!" Crona shouted as Certo lashed out at the first ape and another made a stab at her. She reared onto her hind legs and slashed the ape's face, gouging his left eyeball in the process.

A hard punch to the gut sent Certo tumbling into Crona. The white dragoness screamed as a sudden wave of pain hit her. Up until now she had been able to ignore the pain in her badly broken leg, but her adrenaline was beginning to wear off now. The apes grabbed at the young dragons and Certo hit them at point blank range with another sonic blast. The apes fell back into their comrades, blood pouring from every pore and orifice on their faces.

"I'm open to suggestions!" Certo lashed out at an ape that was attempting to drag Crona off. As soon as that ape was down, another raised its dagger. Crona flinched, waiting for the stabbing pain but it never came. Certo stopped the blow with his own tail blade before blowing a gust of wind into the ape's face, stinging his eyes.

Crona was starting to feel the pressure as she swatted a hand that was trying to grab at her. Certo was trying his best to keep the attackers at bay but she remembered what she learned about the apes from back during the war. What the apes lacked in physical strength, they made up for in tenacity and numbers. They were trying to surround them again but Certo had learned their strategy now. With quick bursts of wind he managed to blow several of them back, buying precious seconds for him to keep the white dragoness covered. Crona could see he was desperately trying to knock back every creature that came too close, but he was only one dragon against almost a hundred apes.

"Certo! If you can hold them off for a little longer, I think I can stop them!" This desperate situation was going to call for a desperate plan of action.

"Like I have a choice?" Certo roared; puncturing an ape's arm as it swung its hooked bone weapon.

Crona did not have time to ponder his words. Right now she had to put her complete faith and trust in the black dragon that he could get the job done. It was already difficult for her to concentrate with all the noise surrounding her. Crona straightened herself up and began to focus her mind into a meditative state. Seeing the white dragoness suddenly grow still, the apes began to press harder, forcing Certo to exert more gusts of wind to knock them back.

"What in the world is she planning?" He growled to himself. "She's just sitting there like she's giving up." He felt more claws slash against his neck and he bit down on reaction. With a massive heave, Certo flung the ape into the pressing company of apes.

Behind him Crona continued to delve into a deep concentration. Her mouth hung open, breathing in the energy around them; tasting, smelling, feeling, sensing every disturbance in the air. In her mind's eye she could envision it; the blue mist. Its brilliant glowing form rippled wildly in the air and around her feet as the fight between Certo and the apes continued. She could see them all now. The apes, possessing no magical power, were dark shadows amongst the streams of magic but Certo stood out among them. Instead of being shrouded in blue energy as other dragons normally were, his energy burned in a blazing crimson light.

"That's not normal," Crona thought to herself. Certo's sudden cry from a slash across his forearm reminded her what she was supposed to be doing. "Hang in there just a little longer Certo!" She cried. "I'm almost there!"

All around, the blue mist was present; its force was very strong here in this untouched wilderness. The fresh wind was easy to breathe in and Crona filled her body with the luscious energy. This had always been the easiest part. Where other dragons would just breathe out magical energy in their elemental bursts, Crona had had to find another way to expel the invading force. Her brows furrowed as she took her concentration deeper. Now was the hard part; balancing the pushing and pulling of the magical energy from her body. It was now manifesting before her in a swirling ball of energy. The blue mist pulsed as it became more concentrated, not wanting to bend to the white dragoness's submission. Crona forced more energy out to counteract the power of the blue mist to hold it in place. It was quickly massing into a powerful force and if she were to lose control it would mean the end of her and possibly even Certo.

"Get behind me! NOW!" She screamed. The energy from the blue mist began to push against her, harder and harder, wanting to return to its free flowing state. Certo was quick to react. He ducked under another sword swipe and flapped his wings once, propelling himself behind the dragoness and knocking the apes back once again.

Crona saw the crimson figure of the black dragon land behind her as the energy she had summoned began to twist and warp. The push of the magic was pressing her back, forcing her to sit on her haunches and raise her healthy front paw to help press against the opposing force.

With one giant push of her own energy and a deafening shriek, she expelled the energy in one enormous blast. The blue mist exploded outward, consuming the apes in a massive beam of pure energy. The recoil was so powerful, Crona had to lean into it to avoid being knocked backwards. As more and more energy was expelled, the more she found her feet skidding across the ground. She dug her claws into the earth to stabilize herself, but the recoil quickly overwhelmed her. As the energy reached its peak, Crona let out a scream as she was knocked back into Certo. The two dragons tumbled back over the roots of the oak trees, rolling head over heels across the grassy plane. The light from the combustion of energy engulfed the plains and the thundering explosion carried for miles.

When the ringing died away, Certo was the first to raise his head. His whole body ached and his chest throbbed. He staggered to his feet and looked around to see what danger still lurked about. But all he heard was silence as the dust settled across the landscape.

"What in the world was that?" He gasped, his eyes widening in shock and his jaw falling open.

Beside him, Crona coughed. "That... was my strongest attack." She too had trouble rising to her feet. She was beginning to feel numb now as she stood on her three good legs. She smiled when she saw the black dragon's reaction. "Pretty nifty, huh?"

Certo shook his head in disbelief. He could not believe he had just witnessed an entire throng of enemies get wiped off the face of the earth by one little dragoness. Up until then he had believed his brother's newfound power was the strongest he had ever seen but now he was beginning to think twice. "Where the hell did you learn a move like that?"

"It's something I learned on my own," Crona sighed. She was feeling slightly woozy and the feeling of nausea was beginning to take over. "When you don't possess any sort of breath attacks like other dragons, you learn to compensate in your own way."

"No shit," Certo gasped. "I guess we're lucky you have that ability. Otherwise we'd be dead by now."

"Yeah," Crona nodded. "But do you see now that I'm not such a little girl after all?" The black dragon stared at her. "I can take care of myself just fine, Certo. I can help you out."

Certo shook his head; it hurt. "No, I still don't want you getting involved."

Crona rolled her eyes and gave an exasperated sigh. "Why? You know what I can do now. Are you still afraid I'll get hurt or something? I've killed more than my fair share of Apes Certo. I know what I'm doing."

"We got lucky this time, Crona." The black dragon looked back at the deep groove in the earth where the apes had once been. The ground was charred and still smoking. "This was just a small group of apes. I'd be willing to bet there's a lot more where those came from. And if so, what if those ones had joined in? I don't know if I would have been able to hold them off long enough for you to do... that thing you just did. It's no big deal if I get killed, but if there was no one to protect you then, what would you have done? This is exactly what I was referring to before. If you stay with me, you'll just end up dying in the end."

Crona winced as another eave of pain rushed through her. "I still don't believe that Certo. We worked together and were able to fend them off. Doesn't that show that we can work together on this? You say what if, as if it had happened. What if you hadn't been able to protect me? Well, I've got news for you, you did and because of that we were able to make it out alive." Certo fell silent as he stared into her eyes. They seemed to be glazing over, like the life in them was slowly fading away. "I'm right Certo. You know I am."

After a long silent pause, the black dragon sighed. "I guess..."

"Good," Crona closed her eyes before smiling. She suddenly collapsed onto the ground and didn't move.

"Crona!" Certo bent down and nudged her with his snout. The white dragoness didn't respond. "Crona? What's wrong? Wake up! Crona!" A soft wheeze was all that escaped the dragoness's mouth as her body began to fall limp in the lush grass. Certo's eyes grew wide and he nudged her again, a little harder this time. "No, no, no! Please no!" He cried. "Crona!"


	21. Chapter 21

Terra and Amp lay curled tightly around each other. Outside it had been raining hard for the past couple of days. Lightning cracked across the sky and Terra jerked her head up, eyes looking around in fright.

"It's alright," Amp whispered softly, coaxing her to lie back down. "It's just the storm."

"I know," Terra muttered. "I'm just really nervous right now."

Amp gave an amused chuckled. "You know, I find it interesting that you're a little jumpy about a tiny lightning storm. Yet I'm the guardian of lightning and you've never been jumpy around me."

Terra fixed her fiancée with her bright green eyes. She appreciated his attempt at cheering her up but now she was really not in the mood. "It's not that. I'm worried. We haven't seen or heard anything about Certo or Crona in almost two weeks. It's like they completely abandoned and forgot about us."

"Don't talk like that," Amp scolded her. "You know darn well that isn't the case."

"Then what is the case Amp? What am I supposed to think? They're our friends! They wouldn't just up and leave us without saying anything! It's not like them!"

"Crona, no." Amp shook his head but then rolled his eyes. "But I wouldn't put it past Certo to do something like that. It's just the way he is. My guess is that's what he did and when Crona found out she went to chase him down."

"Maybe," Terra murmured, laying her head back down to rest. "I hope they're both okay."

"Well, look on the bright side." Amp gave her a playful nudge and a kiss on the cheek. "If Crona really did chase after Certo, then it just proves what you were saying about her liking him."

Terra stared at her mate for a long moment before giving a soft smile. "I swear, if I didn't love you so much." She returned the kiss on his cheek. "Let's just hope they make it back safe and—"

Just then another flash of lightning illuminated the sky and a shadow filled the room. Terra screamed and huddled closer to Amp. Both dragons' mouths fell open as the figure stood before them, drenched in rain and sleet and gasping for breath. Another flash of lightning cast a ghostly outline around the figure.

"H-help..." it wheezed.

Amp jumped to his feet and stood in front of Terra, spreading his wings wide. "Who are you, buddy!" He roared, getting the attention of Terra's mother and father in the back room. "What are you...?"

"Amp... help... please..." The figure pleaded, taking a step forward.

Hearing his name caused the lightning guardian to raise a brow in surprise. He spread his wings, generating enough electrical energy to brighten up the room enough to see clearly. Nitrus and Thundra burst into the room, anticipating apes invading their home. Instead, they found the black dragon standing before their daughter and son-in-law, dripping water all over the floor and hoisting a limp-bodied Crona on his back. She was breathing heavily and coughing hard. Certo's right shoulder was covered in her blood, which she had been continuously expelling from her throat.

"Certo! You're back!" Terra gasped.

"Oh, my goodness!" Thundra exclaimed, mortified by the white dragoness's condition. "Hurry, get her to the back room! Hurry!" She turned and pushed past her husband and Certo moved to follow. But the ice guardian stepped in front of him.

"No, I'll take her." He reached down and grabbed the white dragoness from off of Certo's back and set her down on his back before glaring at the young male. "You're not welcome here any longer. Not that you were to begin with."

"Daddy!" Terra exclaimed but he made a curt turn and followed his mate down the hall. "Ugh! He is...!" Terra was so furious she was releasing cold bursts of icy wind from her maw, chilling the room almost instantly.

Even Amp was showing signs of being infuriated. The normally calm and comedic young guardian was generating more bursts of electricity and his quills rattled with a loud bussing noise.

Certo turned and headed towards Terra's balcony.

"Certo, where are you going?" Terra cried, chasing after him. She stopped when he turned to her with tears in his eyes.

"Please. Don't let her die."

The ice dragoness was stunned. She stared speechlessly at her friend as he turned and leaped off the balcony. After the initial shock had worn off she bounded onto the rainy patio, screaming his name.

"Terra," Amp called from inside. "Let him go."

"But he shouldn't be out there all by himself!" Terra protested, looking back over her shoulder. "It's cold and wet out, not to mention dangerous!"

"Certo's a dragon who knows how to take care of himself." The lightning guardian shook his head. "I'm sure he knows where he's going."

"But Amp!"

"Terra!" The young guardian's sudden tone increase caused the dragoness to immediately fall silent. "He needs to be alone right now. It's not our place to interfere with his personal needs." Terra looked hurt. Amp sighed sadly and extended his wings to her. Terra burst into tears as she walked back and buried her face in his chest, dripping water all over him. "I know it's tough," He whispered, draping his wings around her body to keep her warm. "I don't like it either, but right now all we can do is have faith that things will turn out for the best."

As Terra continued to cry, the lightning dragon stared out into the dark storm beyond their room.

Outside, Certo flew on into the rain. His hot tears blew into the wind, mixing with the drops of rain that poured from the sky. He gritted his teeth, trying desperately to stop from crying but the tears refused to yield to his silent demands.

Before he knew it, he had come to the Silver River. Certo dropped to the ground, stumbling on the wet, sandy bank. He tripped, spraining his ankle, but he didn't care. All he cared about was the white dragoness sitting on death's doorstep.

Certo's bawling was drowned out by the wind, and the roar of the raging river. After a couple of hours, he could cry no more. The black dragon rose to his feet, wobbling on his sprained ankle. He took in the sight of his surroundings for the first time, to realize this was where Terra and Amp had taken him and Crona on their little day trip nearly three weeks before. Remembering that day only seemed to make the black dragon sink deeper into his pit of despair. He limped over to the cover of some trees and lay down.

"I'm sorry," he whispered. "I'm sorry." He would not be getting much sleep tonight.

The storm subsided by the next day. The entire city and forest beyond seemed to blind anyone who stepped into the sun. The rays of light reflected brightly off the puddles and lingering rain drops, making everything shine like highly polished metal. As soon as they woke up, Terra and Amp quietly snuck to the back room where Thundra was still awake. The lightning dragoness had been up all night, working tirelessly, attending to Crona.

"How is she?" Terra asked quietly as she and Amp ducked under the curtain.

Thundra could only sigh and rub her neck, trying to remove the kink that had developed. "I can't say dear. I'm doing all I can but she's in really critical condition."

"What's wrong with her?" Amp draped a comforting wing over his fiancée as they stared down at the white dragoness. Crona's breathing was hoarse and her mouth hung open, causing a puddle of saliva and blood to accumulate onto the towel where she rested her head on.

Thundra sighed as she thought of where to start. "I've managed to splint her leg." She gestured to the cast that was curing around her left foreleg. "It was severely swollen when Certo brought her in and I couldn't get the swelling to go down no matter what I did. As it turned out, there was a massive blood clot, preventing any fresh blood from flowing to that area. If it had continued that way for a couple more days, her leg would have become dead."

Terra and Amp cringed. It was rare for dragons to get into situations where they acquired dead limbs which would later have to be amputated. But the idea of such a thing happening to someone as young as Crona was frightening.

Thundra sighed again, bringing the two youngsters back from their dark thoughts. "Once that was done, I stitched her up and dressed the wound with several layers." She pushed aside a bucket of aloe vera leaves. The sap from these small cacti would keep the wound sanitized for a long period of time, and would do well to heal the wound faster. "Her leg is fractured in two places, so when she wakes up she may need some physical support from you two."

"Okay," Amp and Terra both nodded.

Thundra smiled, seeing their honest enthusiasm. She glanced back down at Crona and stroked her spiny crest. She had removed Crona's breastplate which now lay on a shelf nearby. "She's got some bruises here and there, but other than that she's mostly fine. She also has a bit of a fever right now, but that should subside in another day."

"That's a relief," Terra breathed. "Certo will be relieved once he hears that."

"Speaking of whom, where did he go last night?" Thundra turned to her daughter and son-in-law. "It was like he didn't wait around to see if Crona would be all right or not."

Amp raised a brow as he and Terra exchanged looks. "You didn't hear what Dad said?" Thundra cocked her head curiously. "He took Crona away from Certo and told him to get out."

Thundra looked like she had been slapped as her mouth fell open in shock. "Will you both excuse me? I have something to take care of." She brushed past the young couple and headed towards the front entrance of the pavilion.

"Mom, where are you going?" Terra called after her.

"To deal with your father," Thundra growled under her breath.

No sooner had she left than the two young dragons heard a noticeable thump outside. They turned their heads to see Certo standing out on the balcony.

"Certo!" Terra bounded over and draped her wings around him in a big hug. "Where have you been? We've been worried!"

"I'm not important here," he murmured looking into her green eyes. "How's Crona doing?" He looked over at the white dragoness lying on the bed, coughing slightly every so often.

"She's going to be okay." Terra nodded. "Mom said she's got a fever right now, but she'll pull through."

"I see," Certo muttered. He could attest for every one of Crona's current ailments. It was because of him that she was in this condition. He had broken her leg and kept her up for nights on end, thus making her exhausted and more susceptible to illness.

"Certo, are you alright?" Amp asked, moving over to his friend.

Certo snapped out of his trance and looked the younger dragon in the eye. Amp may have been young but he could be very keen on looking into his friends' emotions with those strong, violet eyes of his. "Yes, I'm fine."

Amp didn't believe him but decided to humor the black dragon anyways. "Cheer up, buddy. Your squabble-mate will be back on her feet in no time. Then you two can go on about bickering like an elderly married couple like you always do." Terra giggled but Certo's cheeks burned deep red. Terra stepped out of the way and opened the room up for him.

"If you want to stay by her side, you're more than welcome." She gestured with a wing.

"I'll keep an eye out for my dad," Amp muttered with a tone of disgust in his voice in regards to Nitrus. Certo only nodded and climbed onto the bed of pillows. He coiled up next to Crona and lay there, watching her breath. Behind him, Terra and Amp exchanged a private moment before the lightning guardian moved to keep a look out.

Thundra stormed down the halls of the council chambers. She could hear the sounds of voices coming from the conference hall as she drew closer. The doors were slightly ajar but she couldn't care less right now. She slammed her front paws on the great iron doors, flinging them open with a loud clang, startling the guardians inside.

"Thundra," Nitrus stared at his mate with wide eyes. The loud noise caused by her entrance still rang in his ears. "What are you doing here?"

"You and I need to talk, Nitrus." Thundra growled. "Right now."

"What is the meaning of this?" Tectonica snarled. "How dare you barge into an official meeting and demand to see one of us without consent!?"

"Shut it, bitch!" Thundra hissed, lightning crackling between her jaws. The lightning dragoness was normally calm and level headed, but this was possibly the first time where she had felt the need to swear at another dragon. She turned back to her mate and thrust her head towards the hallway. "Outside! Now!"

Nitrus stared at her silently for a moment. Seeing that she would not leave until he complied with her demand, he rose off his pedestal and looked at the other guardians, who looked at him in shock. Kia was doing her best to appear composed, but being a female herself, she knew not to interfere with the affairs of another dragoness and her mate. Sin pretended not to be interested in what was going on and continued to lay his head upon his paws. Cryus looked frightened, having never seen an angry dragoness before. Tectonica glared at Thundra, who flicked her tail rudely as she turned her back on her, leading Nitrus into the hall. "Please excuse us." Nitrus bowed as he exited the room. Volcanus only remained silent.

Thundra waited outside the doors until Nitrus was looking her straight in the eye.

"What seems to be the problem?" He asked, rather annoyed at being interrupted in the middle of his duties.

"What in our ancestor's names do you think you're doing?" Thundra asked, cocking her head at him.

Nitrus raised a brow. "Doing what I always..."

"I'm talking about Certo!" Thundra interrupted. Realizing what his mate was talking about, Nitrus's featured immediately turned into a scowl. "Are you trying to teach our kids what it means to oppress those less fortunate than us?"

"I am not teaching them to oppress others!" Nitrus growled.

"Oh, no? Well that's exactly what you did last night when you took Crona away from Certo and told him to get out!"

Hearing the black dragon's name caused the ice guardian's temper to rise. "That dragon has no place in our home, much less our city or our lives!"

"He has nowhere else to go!" Thundra shouted. "You would rather him freeze to death in the cold with no one to look after him than lend him any sort of assistance?"

"If it keeps our daughters safe, then I'm willing to do that!" Nitrus growled. "We've had the city on lockdown for almost two weeks, fortifying our defenses and establishing a regular guard patrol in case the apes decide to attack again. This whole mess right now is because of him!"

"No! It's not!" Thundra snapped, pressing a talon into her mate's chest. "It's because of dragons like you, who treated him like an outsider rather than inviting him into our society as an equal!"

"Oh, come off it Thundra!" Nitrus snarled. "You know just as well as I do what Sin's prophecy claimed!"

"I have not forgotten!" The dragoness hissed. "I know that a war was supposed to start when a black dragon came to purge the world of sin. But Certo has done nothing to fit that description. He hasn't attacked anyone. He hasn't done anything to stir up events within this city! If anyone has, it's you and everyone else who has been viewing him like he's a bringer of death."

"Well, if that's how you feel then how come you haven't done anything to dissuade it?" Nitrus leaned in close to his mate, narrowing his eyes at her.

"I'm not saying I'm not guilty in this issue." Thundra curled her lip, showing her white teeth. "But I'm not willing to deny access to shelter and food to a dragon in need just because of some superstition."

Nitrus roared, sending a shower of ice particles across the hall, covering the walls with a thin sheet of frost. Thundra did not flinch a single scale. "Do you not understand that our family's lives are in danger while that dragon stays here? He has been banished because while he is around, he will bring death and destruction to our way of life! I don't think I should have to remind you about the dragons who died when the apes attacked the first time! We cannot have that happen again!"

"I understand that!" Thundra growled, leering at her mate. "But to insist that your own children betray someone they view as a friend is disgraceful beyond all measure! I love you, Nitrus, but if you continue to ask them to behave in such a way..." The lightning dragoness sighed and turned her back to walk away. "I'll have no choice but to find another mate."

Those words hit the ice guardian like an avalanche. He stood frozen in astonishment as he watched his mate disappear around the corner. It took him several minutes to get over the initial shock before entering the conference chamber again. As he entered, the other guardians watched him as he reassumed his position on his pedestal. They had heard every word but were remaining silent now.

"May we continue?" Volcanus asked, looking at his compatriot.

Off to the side, Kia watched as the ice guardian's head hung low. She felt a deep, personal sense of pain settle into her heart. But this was Nitrus's fight; not hers.

Nitrus nodded. "Yes, go ahead."

Three agonizingly long days passed. Every moment the opportunity arose, Terra and Amp would help sneak Certo in to see Crona while Nitrus and Thundra were away. The black dragon never left for more than a few hours at a time and barely slept a wink during that time. As time passed he began to wonder why the white dragoness had not woken up yet. On the fourth day he got his answer.

"Oh no," Thundra gasped. She was staring down at Crona as Amp and Terra watched close by. "This is not good."

"What is it, Mom?" Terra asked worriedly, taking a step closer.

"It's worse than I ever would have thought." Thundra shook her head, looking over Crona. The white dragoness's scales were a sickly greenish-grey shade. Her skin was beginning to hang loose against her body. Her hip bones and ribs were showing beneath her scales indicating the severity of her illness. Mucus gathered around the rim of her mouth and her nostrils were becoming clogged with discharge.

"Mom! Tell us!" Terra pleaded. "What is it? What's wrong with her?" She looked frantically from her unconscious friend to her mother. The tone in her mother's voice scared her; it scared Amp too.

Thundra looked over the white dragoness a little more, making sure she knew what she was going to have to tell Terra and Amp. She searched desperately for proof that her theory was wrong, but found none. The dragoness was a very keen medical expert amongst the other dragon healers of the city, but right now she was wishing that she was wrong about her diagnosis.

"Mom?"

Thundra looked up to see her daughter staring up at her. Terra's mouth hung open and she looked up at her mother with pleading eyes, already glossing over with tears. Amp was beside her with his wing over her shoulders and trying to appear strong, but Thundra could tell that he too was deeply worried.

"I'm sorry Terra... Amp..." Thundra sighed. She looked down at Crona and stroked her Crest softly so as to not cause her any more discomfort. "I don't think Crona has much time left."

"What?" Terra and Amp gasped in horror.

"Why not Mom?"

Thundra was silent for another moment. "She has sputum's disease."

"Sputum's disease?"

"It's a respiratory infection," Thundra explained. "It settles in the lungs and spreads to the sinus and then to the throat. It's hard to spot because it looks like a mere cold until it's too late."

"Is there any hope for Crona?" Amp asked, continuing to put on a strong face for Terra. "Can't she overcome it?"

Thundra shook her head. "I'm sorry Amp. But there's nothing we can do. The only known cure can no longer be found. All we can do is make her final days as comfortable as possible. It's only going to get worse for her from here on out."

"No way," Amp gasped as Terra buried her face into his shoulder, sobbing heavily.

Thundra hugged the young dragons close to her as Terra's sobbing became louder. "You two should probably take some time and spend it with her. I'm sure she would enjoy it, even if she can't hear you."

"She won't wake up?" Amp asked, sounding even more astonished now that he was aware Crona would never open her eyes again.

Thundra shook her head. "I fear that she's too far gone from us to be very responsive." She reached out and rubbed the young guardian's head, being cautious not to overload his sensitive quills. "I'm sorry," she whispered. She kissed them both on the cheek and left them alone to gather their thoughts.

"What do we do?" Terra sobbed. "We can't just let her die like this. It's not fair."

"What about Certo?" Amp pondered aloud. "He's going to be crushed when he hears this."

"I was crushed before I heard what your mother said." The couple turned to see the black dragon standing in the doorway. He had been hiding out on top of the roof, listening in and waiting for Thundra to leave, giving him the chance to slip in and see the dragoness. "But this..." Certo shook his head. "This is too devastating."

"Certo, I'm sorry," Amp apologized. "I wish there was something I could do to ease the pain."

"There's nothing you can do," Certo muttered as he walked over to his dragoness. "This is my fault. My doing. I'm going to have to live with the fact that Crona may die because of me."

"Certo, it's not your fault." Amp shook his head. "You had no control over Crona's health."

"But if she hadn't followed after me when I ran off, she wouldn't have gotten hurt or sick."

"You don't know that for certain," Terra sniffed, glancing at the black dragon from the corner of her eye.

"Of course I do! How else would it have happened? Not by sitting around here, that's for sure!"

"Keep your voice down!" Amp hissed. "You want everyone to hear you?"

"I really don't care any more," Certo muttered as he walked over to Crona. "Being found out seems like it would be nothing in comparison to what's going to happen now."

"Certo..." Terra wanted to comfort him but was in no emotional state to do so. She continued to cry into Amp's shoulder as the dragons fell silent again. Amp watched as Certo lay down next to Crona as he usually did. Crona's breathing had become even more forced than before. Little bubbles of mucus dripped from her nostrils, adding to the crusty layer that had gathered over the past days. Hearing her raspy breathing made Certo think about his own health. Was this infection contagious? How long would it be before Crona's life was taken away? Was there really nothing he could do to help her? Was he the one who was really useless instead of her? How could he be able to destroy half a mountain but not have enough power to help a friend?

"A friend..." Certo whispered to himself. His eyes moved around the room to Terra and Amp then back to Crona. After another moment of silence he got to his feet. "Terra, what did your mom say this disease was called?"

"Uh, sputum. Why do you ask?"

"How do you spell it?"

"Certo, what are you getting at?" Terra narrowed her eyes at him questioningly.

"Terra, we don't have a lot of time." Amp jumped in, seeing that the black dragon was already in a hurry. "Just grab him a piece of paper and write it out for him," Terra hesitated a moment before ducking out of the room. Amp turned to Certo who nodded, thankful for the help. "You're not willing to give out on Crona are you?"

Certo shook his head. "She didn't give up on me while chasing after me. I can't give up on her either."

A smile spread across Amp's muzzle. He was beginning to see the signs now of his mate's earlier discovery; or so he thought.

Terra returned a moment later with a piece of scratch paper with the description of Crona's illness written on it. Certo looked it over for a second to memorize the name before folding the note up and clutching it between his talons.

"What are you going to do now?" Terra asked as she watched him turn towards the balcony.

"I still don't know," Certo muttered, staring back at his friends. "But I'm not going to just sit here and wait for Crona to die. I'm not giving up on her until I'm one hundred percent certain there's no hope for her."

"But Certo..." Terra was about to tell him what her mother had said, but the black dragon sprang into the air, taking off into the distance.

"It's like he's a completely different dragon," Amp thought out loud as he joined his mate out on the balcony.

"You're right about that." Terra nodded. "He's not the same Certo we used to know. I just hope this change is for the best."

Darkness finally fell upon the dragon city. All around, dragons hurried home as the night watch began their evening rounds. These dragons were males in their fighting prime, fully capable of handling more than one ape at a time, should they launch an attack. The guards patrolled the streets and the perimeter of the city, their armor clinking to let their fellow guards know their position, as well as the black dragon lurking in the shadows.

Certo had remained hidden for most of the day, waiting for nightfall. As soon as the sun began to set he returned to the city, keeping to the streets and using the long shadows to his advantage. Here in the darkness, he was able to use his coloration for near-perfect camouflage. The guards who passed by never noticed the black dragon pressed against the walls, no more than three feet from them. Certo slipped through the streets almost silently, the only sound being the wind covering his footsteps. At last he came to the building he was looking for.

The library looked like a towering giant in the darkness of the night. Inside, the lanterns were lit and the light spilled from the few windows and entry ways onto the neighboring buildings. After giving a quick look around ad making sure there were no sentries in the area, Certo darted out from his cover and towards the main entrance. He came to a halt just outside the main entrance and looked around; no one in sight. The black dragon closed his eyes and concentrated on the gentle night wind. A small breeze entered the library, spiraling about the many chambers, brushing against every surface and disturbing any loose sheets and open books. There were very few dragons about; only three from what Certo could sense.

After opening his eyes, the black dragon entered the library. He had only been here a couple times due to the instruction of Master Kia when first learning to write. It now seemed like years ago that he was first entering this building with the air guardian looking for books on ancient dragon scrawl to help translate between Certo's newfound calligraphy. He had never liked the library or the idea of having to search through thousands of books to find one little thing. But right now he could care less. He would tear this place apart if it meant finding the answer he was looking for.

Across the main chamber near a desk covered in piles of books lay an old dragon with old but elaborate armor plates covering his shoulders and hips just above the base of his tail. Certo took in a deep breath and walked over to him. The old dragon was busy scribbling down notes on a large scroll in front of him. He seemed deeply into his work and did not seem to notice the young dragon approach him until Certo spoke.

"Excuse me." The old dragon looked up to see the young, scarred male standing before him with a folded sheet of paper pressed delicately between his lips. The elder dragon's eyes grew wide and his heart began to beat into a frantic panic.

"You! Get out of here! You are not welcome in this sacred place! The old earth dragon rose to his feet and snarled at Certo. The noise echoed through the library chambers, alerting the other librarians. A young ice dragoness about Thundra's age and another elder earth dragon came bounding out of the back archives and came to a dead halt across the room from Certo and the armored elder. Certo glanced at them then back to the elder before him.

"I'll call the guards!" The ice dragoness cried and made a break for the front entrance.

"No, wait!" Certo pleaded and whirled around. He kicked hard against the marble floor and jumped in front of the ice dragoness. The other male growled angrily and charged. Certo's first instinct was to fight and he spread his wings into a fighting stance. Certo's bad eye began to glow deep crimson as he felt the blood inside him boil. But when he hissed and felt the paper still in his mouth, he remembered why he was here. "Stop! I'm not here to fight!"

The young female stepped back in fright at seeing the black dragon's glowing eye. The earth dragon coming up behind her stepped forward to protect her from the perceived threat.

"You had best leave this place and this city, young dragon," the male growled. Much to Certo's surprise he had stopped his charge but still was looking as if he expected a fight.

"I'm not leaving here!" Certo snarled.

The ice dragoness turned to the armored elder. "Go! Now! Get help! We'll hold him off here!"

The elder librarian spread his great wings and sprang into the air, taking aim for one of the upper levels where he could escape.

"No!" Certo shouted and blew a gust of wind, catching the elder's wing membranes. The paper flew from Certo's mouth and the elder hit one of the pillars supporting an upper level before falling to the ground.

The other earth dragon male bellowed and swung at Certo with his claws.

"Stop it!" Certo snarled again. "I don't want to fight you!" He dodged the male's attack only to have the dragoness lunge at him next.

"If you did not want to fight then you would have never come here!" She shouted and lashed at him with her tail spikes.

"I'm here to try and save someone!" Certo exclaimed.

"Why should we believe you?" The earth dragon snapped and made a vicious lunge for the young dragon. "You've brought nothing but death and destruction upon our fair city and now you expect us to help you?"

Certo gritted his teeth. All these dragons were the same. They all thought alike with the same one-track minded perceptions. "Then don't help me! Help the one I'm trying to help! I don't care! Just stop!"

"Fool! Trying to use others to get your own way! How despicable of you feral dragons!"

"That's it!" Certo dodged another swipe of the male's claws and struck with his barbed tail blade. The male howled in pain as the black dragon's tail weapon slashed into his foreleg. The sudden sting caused his leg to buckle and he fell with a loud thud. The ice dragoness shrieked and lunged for Certo with her talons outstretched. Certo inhaled deeply and blew hard, catching the dragoness's wings in the gust and blowing her through one of the support pillars and into the wall. The dragoness cried out and slumped to the ground.

"You monster!" The earth dragon growled. "I'll kill you!"

"No! No you won't!" Certo whirled on the male, his eye blazing bright, casting the library in an angry red glow. "You're going to sit down and you're going to listen to me!" By now all the commotion had alerted the nearby sentries on patrol. A dozen large male dragons in glistening armor stormed into the library expecting to find the place crawling with apes. Much to their surprise they only found the librarians and the black dragon standing alone.

"Surround him!" The lead guard ordered and the dragons spread out around the main chamber. Certo watched, feeling his desperation rise inside of him. He sensed the earth dragon beside him begin to move.

The male stopped moving when he saw the black dragon's tail blade twitch against the marble floor. "Why should I even give you my attention when all you are is a bringer of death?"

"Because I'm trying to save an innocent!" Certo growled, the noise echoing throughout the library. "One of your fellow dragons is sick and she's going to die! I don't want to believe that she's going to die until I've exhausted every possible resource at my disposal to try and save her! That's why I came here! To seek your help!"

"You will find no such help from us black dragon." The earth dragon growled defiantly.

Certo stared at him and the circling sentries. They were closing in, trying to squeeze him into their little ring and prevent him from escaping. "I can't believe you all!" Certo shouted, his voice thundering inside the chamber. "You would let another innocent dragon die! Just to get at me!" The sentries remained silent as they crept closer.

"Wait!" The dragons' heads turned to see the armored elder had gotten to his feet. Certo saw that in his paws he held the piece of paper he had unknowingly dropped. The librarian walked forward until he was standing before Certo. He held the note up showing it to Certo. "This is the disease this dragoness suffers from?" Certo nodded. The elder looked at the paper again as several of the sentries leaned in to read what it said. "You do realize that the cure for this no longer exists."

"I've heard." Certo nodded. "But I'm not going to just sit around and do nothing while she suffers."

"There's nothing you can do for her though," The lead guard growled, moving closer hoping to be able to take Certo by surprise.

The black dragon turned his head and stared up at him with his glowing red eye. "You 'civilized' dragons are always going on about how different your so-called society is from that of us dragons who come from the wild. Did it ever occur to you that I may know something or have an idea that you never thought of?"

"Young dragon," the elder librarian spoke up, grabbing the attention of the guards as well. "I will help you with your search."

"What?" The other earth dragon and lead guard exclaimed. The armored elder took a step back from Certo and bowed deeply before him. Certo's jaw dropped as did the other guards.

"My mate died of this disease almost a full generation ago," The elder explained as he looked at Certo who was frozen in shock. "If there is any sort of possibility of saving another from this terrible fate, then I am at your service." The black dragon remained silent.

All at once one of the guards dropped to the ground, bowing before Certo as well. One by one, the other guards followed. Certo's heart raced as he looked around the ring of dragons, all lowering their heads to him in a gesture of sanction. After a moment the armored elder rose to his feet. "Come, now, young dragon. We have little time to waste on formalities." He turned to the guards who rose to attention. "Captain," he addressed the lead sentry. "I would wish half of your troop to assist us in our search, if you would be willing to spare them."

The captain of the guard paused to think over the elder's request. After glancing down at Certo who looked up at him with pleading eyes he nodded. "Very well." He turned to a lightning dragon approximately his own age. "Voltrus, take four of your best and continue your patrol. Let the other sentries know of what is going on but be quiet about it. We don't want to arouse any unnecessary attention."

"I understand." Voltrus nodded and left with four other bulky-looking males.

"Captain, I only requested half of your team." The elder librarian pointed out. The captain only turned with a smile on his muzzle.

"Just more bodies to aid you in your search, old friend." Certo's head snapped around and he stared up at the fire dragon. The captain pretended not to notice the young dragon's expression but continued to smile none the less.

"Your help is deeply appreciated." The librarian bowed graciously.

Nearly two hours passed by. The library buzzed with dragons moving up and down isles, retrieving and returning books and scrolls. The elder librarian, Annol as he introduced himself, had made the efforts to find any information on diseases as efficient as possible. Three dragons, not including Certo, were left to scroll through the texts which were brought to them by the rest of Captain Cytros's team.

"These are the last of them," One of the earth dragons sighed as he brought over a small pile of books. Dust blew off the covers as he dropped them on top of another stack.

"Thank you for your efforts." Annol nodded before turning to Certo "If we don't find anything in these, your search may be for nothing."

"I understand." Certo nodded. "But Crona wasn't willing to give up on me and I'm not going to give up on her."

The old dragon smiled down at Certo. The young black dragon's eye had stopped glowing shortly after they had started their text search. "This Crona... she's someone special to you isn't she?"

Certo's cheeks burned. Why did everyone seem to think that? "No, not really." Certo shook his head as he pulled out a book and began to skim through it. "She nags; she's annoying and always has to be right about every little thing."

"I see," Annol said, eyeing the young dragon closely. Several of the other dragons who were nearby listened in as well. "But all in all, you two are friends are you not? Otherwise you wouldn't be here trying so desperately to save her life."

Certo paused for a moment. "I suppose so."

Seeing that the young male did not wish to talk about it any more, Annol dropped the subject and continued his search.

Off to the side, the other male librarian, Stratus, and the ice dragoness, Verona, sat together watching Annol. Both were still sore from their little tussle with the black dragon but had agreed to lend their assistance to his efforts.

"Do you really think we can trust him?" Verona whispered. She was keeping her voice low, but Certo could hear her words in the wind, though he chose to pretend not to notice.

"I still don't fully trust that dragon after what he's done." Stratus shook his head. "But Annol is right. If there's an innocent that needs to be saved, we should put aside our differences just long enough to try and do some good."

Verona sighed and nodded. A sudden sting in her shoulder caused her to wince. Stratus looked at the nasty scrape she had gotten from hitting the wall.

"Are you alright my dear? Perhaps you should go home and rest."

"I'm okay, really." Verona smiled, her cheeks flushing slightly. "I suppose it's the least I deserve for trying to fight when I should have been helping."

Stratus looked down at the gash on his front foreleg. "I do suppose you're right." He looked over at Certo who was in the middle of asking Annol to translate a word he did not understand. "And to think it took that feral to make us realize that."

Verona chuckled and leaned her head on his shoulder. "I suppose so. He may not be as bad as the guardians make him out to be."

"I wouldn't hold my breath on that," Stratus replied, returning his attention to the books in front of him. "But it would be nice to see that he isn't fully a monster."

"Though you have to admit, that thing he did with his eye was pretty creepy. I've never seen anything like it before."

"Nor have I." Stratus shook his head. "But let us worry about that later. We have a life to try and save." The two librarians read on for another hour before Verona let out an excited cry.

"I think I have something!" She exclaimed, causing the other dragons to jump.

"You do?" Certo vaulted into the air over the heads of the guards and landed gracefully beside the ice dragoness, looking over her shoulder.

"Right here," Verona pointed a talon to a picture on the opposite page. It was a flower with seven petals arching outward from the sepals and thorny leaves covering the stem.

"It's called the memorium." Verona read aloud, moving her talon along the lines of text on the adjacent page. Certo's eye followed along as he tried to read closely. "This flower once resided within the enchanted forest and was known to be able to cure most infectious diseases including sputum's. But after over being over reaped, the flowers began to die out. Eventually memoriums became nearly impossible to find, leading experts to believe that the plant species has gone extinct. Memoriums have not been sighted in nearly three generations." The ice dragoness looked over at Certo who stood as stiff as a rock. His mouth was hanging open slightly as he looked over the pages before the librarian.

"What else does it say?" He asked, noticing the long page of text. With all the overwhelming words and letters, there was no way what Verona had just said could have been every word.

"It's a description of the flower," Verona replied, looking closer at the writings. "It says that memoriums are medium sized flowers that mainly grew in the enchanted forest along the edges of the silver river. They are characterized by their pale blue petals and thorny leaves that prevent them from being eaten by other animals. The sap from these flowers is heavily concentrated with nutrients from the earth itself."

"That explains how they were able to fight off disease," Cytros murmured, catching everyone's attention. "The nutrients were strong and pure, thus being able to fend off any form of illness to the maximum effect."

"A remarkable plant indeed," Annol agreed. "Unfortunately," he glanced down at Certo who seemed transfixed on the picture. "This flower no longer exists."

"Not entirely." Certo growled, narrowing his eyes at the picture, then to Verona. "You said they're blue, right?"

"Yes," Verona nodded, curious to what the young dragon was getting at.

"I know where to find some." Certo turned around, sending a gust of wind about the group of dragons, and leaped onto the railing overlooking the lower levels of the library.

"Young dragon, the memoriums are extinct," Annol called out. "They don't exist any more."

"Remember what I said earlier?" Certo looked back over his shoulder. "You always talk about how different your world is from mine. Well, now it's time to show you just how different our worlds are." And with that he dove off the railing and shot towards the front entrance. The other dragons all stared at each other.

"I'm following after him." Annol reported and stretched his old wings to their full extent. He too dove over the side of the railing and whisked towards the front entrance. The sudden rush made his heart rate spike as he passed through the front entrance and into the night sky. He gave an excited holler and spun into a corkscrew through the air. "My goodness!" He exclaimed. "I haven't felt a rush like this in decades!" He beat his wings hard as he climbed higher into the night sky. Off in the distance he could see the young black dragon flying quickly onward; a single figure outlined by the moons in the sky. Annol pressed harder as he tried to catch up, but the air dragon was far faster than any dragon he had encountered before.

Certo flew on into the night. The black dragon flew for over three hours, beating his wings once every two minutes, gaining more and more ground, letting the night wind carry him at speeds normal dragons could never reach. The landscape had become rather unfamiliar for the first couple of hours, but with the help of the night stars, he was certain where he was going.

Far behind him, Annol watched as the black dragon crossed the Silver River and flew deeper into the outskirts beyond dragon civilization bounds. "Young dragon, what are you up to?" He pondered to himself. He was tired from the sudden exertion but forced himself to press on, in fear of losing sight of the black dragon.

The night began to fade as the sun began to rise behind the two dragons. Off in the distance Certo could see his destination looming up over the horizon. He gritted his teeth and the wind began to roar in his ears. He beat his wings hard and shot forward like a black missile as he headed straight for the small mountain range. Behind him, Annol's eyes widened in surprise. The elder had been surprised by the young dragon's speed before but now he was left speechless as the youngster became a speck in the distance. "What do these wild dragons eat?" He shook his head and huffed onward.

Certo came in for a fast, bounding landing on the rocky bluffs that overlooked the valley. He paused for a minute to catch his breath and look around. He had not been to this spot in months and it left a bittersweet taste in his mouth. As Certo walked along the edge of the cliff he began remembering all the nights he had snuck out of his family's cave to secretly meet with his brother at this spot.

"We used to talk for hours on end," He muttered to himself. A sad sigh escaped his maw as he spotted the break in the cliffs he was looking for. Just as he was about to head down the semi-hidden path, he heard the beating of wings behind him. Annol came in for a hard landing, his legs nearly buckling beneath him. "Annol!" Certo exclaimed. "Are you alright?" He hurried over to the librarian and who was beginning to cough.

"I am fine young dragon." The old earth dragon smiled through his hoarse coughing. "It's just that I have not taken a journey quite this far, this fast before in my life." The elder spent several minutes catching his breath. His throat felt dry and his eyes burned from the wind.

"Annol!" A voice called from the sky. Certo looked up to see Stratus, Verona and the dragon sentries gliding down towards them. Stratus landed on the ground beside his friend and did his best to help him stand.

"I'm alright, Stratus," Annol assured him as the dragons got situated on the ledge. "Just my old age catching up with me."

"You should be taking it easy," Verona said worriedly. "You shouldn't be overexerting yourself like this."

"Nonsense." Annol laughed. "I haven't had this much physical stimulation since I was your age, my dear. Now shall we be on our way?" He turned to look down at Certo who had his attention turned away from them. The black dragon stared at the cliff ledge. Annol noticed the sad expression on his face and a tear build up around the rim of his eye. This was the first time the elder and the other dragons had gotten a good look at the black dragon and the scars that covered his body. Verona and Stratus shared a private stare as did the dragon sentries. "Young dragon, are you feeling alright?"

Certo seemed to jolt himself awake and shook his head. "I'm fine," he muttered before continuing down the narrow path. Annol and the other dragons looked at one another before silently following after the young dragon.

It was a good fifteen minute walk before the dragons noticed the ground beneath their feet beginning to soften. The stone soon became replaced by thick, lush grass. The soil itself was rich with water and the mud squished beneath the dragons' feet as they walked along the path formed by the rocks. Before long, the dragons were sloshing through shallow water that felt as cold as ice. The dragons looked around in awe and amazement at the scenery. Small bushes and brambles poked out from the rock outcroppings. The sky was clear and bright without a single cloud in sight.

"This place is beautiful." Verona sighed as she took in a breath of the fresh air.

"I used to come here with my brother when he ran away from home." Certo spoke up. "This was one of our secret spots where we could meet without anyone ever finding us."

"You sound like you loved your brother," Annol suggested.

Certo was silent for a moment. "That was a long time ago. I don't have anyone to love anymore."

"Don't give up hope young dragon." Annol gave Certo a gentle nudge against his hind leg with his snout. "There's always going to be someone to love and care for as long as you keep an open mind and an open heart." Certo remained silent as he thought over the elder's words.

"We're here," he said, coming to an abrupt halt, nearly causing the other dragons to bump into one another. The line of dragons stared ahead and their mouths fell open. Before them was a shallow lake, almost three acres in diameter. The water was about three feet at its deepest point. Reeds rose out of the water as insects buzzed and danced between them and the lilies that drifted along the surface of the water. But what left the dragons dumbstruck were the thousands of memoriums that grew at the edges of the lake. The thorny flowers swayed in the gentle breeze where the water was no more than an inch deep.

"Memoriums," Captain Cytros gasped with wide eyes. "They're everywhere."

"Then what are we waiting for?" One of his subordinates exclaimed. Let's get some and bring them back."

"Wait!" Cytros ordered, extending a wing to cut off the younger male.

"Wait? Why?"

"Because," Annol growled slightly, looking back over his shoulder at the guard. "This is a sacred place. Certo brought us here and he trusts us not to defile it." He looked down at the black dragon. "Go on." He coaxed. Slowly, Certo began to wade out into the lake. As he began using his tail blade to root out some of the flowers, Annol leaned back towards Cytros. "Thank you," He murmured.

The fire breather nodded. "I too feel that we should learn from our past mistakes." He looked out at Certo who had just finished rooting out the first flower. "There may be more to this young dragon than we realize."

Annol smiled. "Agreed."

It took Certo several minutes before he sloshed back to the procession of dragons. He pushed a bouquet of nine flowers with him. "Here," he nosed six of the flowers towards Annol. "If you can use them, then they are yours." The dragons stiffened at this.

"Young dragon, do you realize how rare these plants are?. Are you absolutely certain you wish for us to have them?"

Certo nodded. "I am. If there's a chance others might get sick, I'd like for a cure to be readily available if no other options exist."

Annol and the other dragons were silent for a minute before they bowed, deeply thankful for the black dragon's kind act. "You are not the dragon we were told you were," Annol apologized. "I hope you can forgive us for misjudging you."

Once again, Certo found himself speechless and slightly embarrassed at the attention he was being given. Annol seemed to sense the dragon's anxiety as a breeze blew across the lake, rippling across the glass-smooth surface of the water.

"Well then, let's not waste any more time," He said, clearing his throat. "Certo, you should hurry and get these flowers to your lady friend as fast as you can."

Certo nodded with a newfound determined look in his eyes. He picked up his three flowers and held them in his claws, being careful to not prick himself too much with the sharp thorns.

"Allow me." One of the earth dragons stepped forward and scooped a handful of mud in his massive paw. He formed it into a narrow vase-like pot. The pot began to glow with the earth dragon's energy as it hardened into solid adobe. Seeing what he intended, Certo plopped the flowers into the pot. "That should help preserve them for the flight back."

"Clever." Annol nodded his approval. The sentry smiled and formed another vase for the gift Certo had given them. "You had best hurry, young dragon," Annol urged as they turned to walk back down the path. "Time and speed are of the utmost importance right now."

"But what about you?" Certo asked, raising a brow. "You need me to lead the way back."

"We will be right behind you but right now it's more important that you get a head start." Certo was hesitant for a moment. Something in the old dragon's words did not sit well with him. But right now, Crona was his main concern. The black dragon nodded and clutched the pot tightly in his claws, holding it close to his body, before springing into the air. With a mighty flap and a sudden whirlwind, Certo was in the air. The sentries and librarians watched as he soon became a speck in the distance.

"Wow, that kid moves fast," a sentry whistled.

"And speaking of moving fast, we had best return to the city ourselves." Cytros reminded them. "The night guards may be wondering where we've disappeared to."

"You all go on ahead." Annol gestured, passing the remaining pot of memoriums to Stratus. "I'm not going back."

The procession of dragons' eyes widened.

"What?" Stratus gasped. "Why not?"

Annol sighed. His throat was still dry and the burning of his eyes lingered. "I believe that it's my time." He looked around the group of faces seeing his fellow dragons sad expressions.

"But Annol, we need you!" Verona protested. "This can't possibly be your time."

"My dear Verona," Annol stroked the ice dragoness's shoulder with the back of his paw. "You'll learn one day when you reach my age. I'm nine generations old. I've seen friends and family come and go. And now, after seeing this glorious place, I think I'm ready to join them."

"But who will look after the library?" Cytros asked. "Someone needs to take charge in your absence."

"That is why Stratus is here." Annol nodded, looking to the younger male. "Stratus may be half my age but he knows the archives inside and out. Not a very easy feat to obtain."

"But, I could never compare to you." Stratus shook his head. "I can't do it."

"Stratus, think not of comparing yourself to me. If you think about what I would do, your ideas will become stale and fruitless. Use that innovative young mind of yours and make our sanctuary flourish with knowledge of the ages to come."

Tears began to swell up in the earth dragon's eyes. He did not want to leave but he knew there was no way to convince Annol to reconsider his decision otherwise.

"We wish you well, old friend." Cytros saluted with a wing. His squad followed his lead and saluted as well.

"Thank you all." Annol smiled warmly at the younger dragons. "I wish you all safe passage home. May you all live long, prosperous lives." Cytros nodded and turned towards home. In a flurry of wings and tails, the dragons were airborne, leaving Stratus and Verona behind with Annol. "Take care, both of you." Annol draped his wings around them both and pulled them close for one final hug. "Remember, family and life are the most precious things in life. Cherish them always."

"I will." Stratus sobbed. "I'm going to miss you, Grandpa."

"I won't be far away." Annol assured him, nudging his great grandson with the ball of his wrist. "Just listen to the earth, and I'll be there. It's what we earth dragons do best." He looked to Verona, whose cheeks glistened with frozen tears. "And you Verona. Be sure to find someone you love dearly. You don't realize it, but you're far more attractive than you give yourself credit. Don't spend your days cooped up inside that stuffy old library. Go out and find yourself a mate and start a family. You owe it to yourself."

"I will, grandpa." Verona sniffled, licking her grandfather's cheek.

Annol continued to smile as he nudged them on. "Hurry along now. I don't want you two being left behind and getting lost out here."

Stratus and Verona trudged away along the edge of the bluff, making several glances over their shoulder towards their ancestor. The whole time, the smile never left Annol's face. At last the two grandchildren of the elder took to the air and followed after Cytros and his sentries.

"Are you going to be alright?" Verona asked once they caught up to the group.

"In time my dear," he assured her. She was his great great granddaughter, stemming from a different family of his offspring. The more he looked at her the more he came to recognize her as family. It was a feeling he had never realized before hand to its full extent. "In time."

Annol waited until they were out of sight. He sighed as his body began to weigh him down. He trudged back to the lake and took a drink of the icy water. The fluid soothed his throat and quenched his thirst. The water here was far more pure than anything he had ever tasted in his lifetime. He stared out at the surface of the lake which seemed to mirror the blue sky above. "What a beautiful and wondrous place," He sighed as he walked back down the path a little ways until he could no longer feel the mud but rather the soft soil beneath his feet. There he lay down for the last time and stared out at the memoriums surrounding the lake. He could still see Certo standing there, extending the gift of six rare, life-saving flowers to them. "What an odd young dragon." The elder chuckled. "May the winds of the world propel you along the path of righteousness and may the wisdom of our ancestors guide your way." He let out another sigh and let himself relax. A gentle breeze whispered over the mountains but he did not feel the chill. "May the ancestors be with you, young Certo." He gave his final blessing before closing his eyes to rest at last.

Certo shot across the sky as fast as he could. The wind was blowing towards him, making it more difficult to keep his speed up. He had not slept in almost forty-eight hours and he was beginning to feel the exhaustion sweep over him.

"I have to keep moving," He thought to himself as he pressed forward. "Crona's counting on me."

It had been an eight-hour flight out from the city and now he was trying to severely cut that flight time back. The wind started to pick up as Certo became more desperate.

"Damn it wind!" He shouted. "Get out of my way!" His roar sent out a gust of air, disrupting the wind current. In the split second that the wind current was disturbed, Certo gained a quick burst of speed. Seeing this, he gritted his teeth and beat his wings harder, doing his best to concentrate on the current of the wind around him. The currents began to spiral about the black dragon, creating a shrill whisper as if a blade was cutting through the air. Certo flapped his wings harder, gaining more and more speed with each beat.

The world below him became a blur, as did the rest of the landscape. Certo soon found himself being overwhelmed by his tunnel-vision that he nearly missed the dragon city to his right. After jerking awake, he banked hard towards the city, searching frantically for Terra and Amp's home. It was then he also remembered the state the city was in.

"Oh to hell with it!" He growled and shot low over the rooftops, not caring if anyone saw him or not. It was late afternoon now, the sun would be setting shortly. Dragons were hurrying home for the day before the shadow of darkness passed over their city. At last Certo spotted it. He dove towards the balcony and beat his wings hard, sending a strong gust through the house. A startled yelp came from inside the room as Certo set the plant pot down on the balcony. He stepped into the room and closed his eyes, hoping they would quickly adjust to the darkness.

An angry growl caught his attention. "What do you think you think you're doing here?" Certo opened his eyes to see a blue water dragon with golden armor standing between him and Crona who was laying on the bed of cushions still.

"Cryus? What are you doing here?"

The water guardian growled, ignoring the black dragon's question. "You have no right to be here Certo. Now leave here this instant!"

"I have every right to be here," Certo growled back. His eyes had not fully adjusted to the dim light.

"You are supposed to be banished from our city, therefore you are not allowed to be here."

"I'm allowed to be here when it concerns Crona," Certo snorted as he entered the room, moving around Cryus.

"I'm not going to let you go anywhere near her." Cryus spat. "It's because of you she's going to die."

"She's not going to die," Certo growled. "I won't let her."

His comment threw Cryus off guard. "What are you, some sort of celestial dragon? Are you able to decide who lives and dies?"

"I have the ability to save Crona's life. I owe her that much for believing in me."

"You owe it to her to stay away from her and the rest of us before you inflict any more pain on the rest of us."

"Get out of my way, Cryus," Certo ordered, taking a bold step towards him. "If you keep me from saving Crona's life I'll never forgive you."

"I'm protecting Crona by keeping scum like you away from her." The guardian growled, his teeth flashing in the late afternoon sun.

Certo bared his teeth and walked up to the water guardian, looking straight in the eye. "Move. Now. I won't ask you again. The only reason I am is for Crona's sake."

Cryus narrowed his eyes at the black dragon. "Make me." No sooner had the words left his mouth than Certo ducked around him. Cryus was completely caught off guard. The blue dragon whirled around and shoved Certo out of the way. The black dragon staggered, tripping over a pan of water. The black dragon slipped and crashed into a table, breaking it. The water guardian pounced on top of him, pinning his shoulders. "Get out of here, right now."

"Not until I save Crona!" Certo shouted. He bashed Cryus in the face with his forehead, forcing him to stagger back. The blue dragon's eyes watered and soon felt the black dragon rush past him. "Crona, wake up!" Certo shouted. "Please, wake up!"

"Get away from her!" Cryus pounced on Certo's back and bit down on the base of his neck. The black dragon reared back with an angry roar. Another loud crash shook the house as Certo slammed Cryus into the towel shelf. Under normal circumstances the water dragon would have released his hold, but where Crona was involved he was not willing to put her life in danger.

"What in the world is going on in there!" An angry voice called from the hallway. A moment later, Amp and Terra ducked under the curtain to see both males rolling over each other, kicking and snarling. "Certo! Cryus! Knock it off right now!" She ordered.

Certo and Cryus locked limbs, pulling themselves into a grappling stalemate. Both males growled at one another before kicking the other away.

"You shouldn't be here, Certo," Cryus hissed again.

"No, you shouldn't be here!" Terra snapped. "We understand your feelings for Crona, but when Certo's around, they have no place here!"

"Are you suggesting that she likes him?" Cryus almost laughed in the ice dragoness's face.

Terra glanced at Certo, who wiped the blood from a cut on his cheek. "Cryus, just leave us, please."

The water guardian was stunned. "You... you're allowing him to be here? In your home? He's supposed to be banished!"

"I know." Terra nodded.

"And we don't care," Amp added, taking a step up next to his mate.

"Amp. You do realize that by associating yourself with Certo, you're putting your guardian title at risk."

"I know." Amp took a step forward and looked up into the water dragon's eyes. "Now ask me if I care."

Cryus's eyes widened in surprise. He glanced from Amp, to Terra then back to Certo with a heated glare. He gave a mild snort and stormed out of the room. Amp waited until his fellow guardian's footsteps faded away before turning to Certo.

"Are you hurt?"

"I've had worse," Certo muttered before turning to the ice dragoness. Terra, get a bowl or something to put a little water in. Hurry."

"Right!" Terra nodded and disappeared. "Amp, go get Terra's mom. We may need her expertise."

"I'm on it!" Amp saluted and hurried out of the room just as Terra returned. She carried a small, yet deep bowl. Certo grabbed the flowers from the balcony and set them down in the corner of the room. He plucked one of the flowers and diced the stem into tiny pieces inside the wooden dish. By the time he was done, Amp returned with Thundra who looked rather astounded at the messy state the room now lay in and even more astonished when she saw the flowers which Certo had brought with him.

"Certo," she gasped, placing a paw over her heart as it began to race. "Where in the world did you find those?"

"It's a secret." Certo shook his head. "Can we use these to help Crona or not?"

Thundra looked down at the white dragoness who looked even more skinny now than she had two days ago. Her hip bones were very apparent and the mucus building up around her nostrils was hardening into a crust. "We can try." Thundra nodded. "Come, bring them here."

"We have one diced up already," Terra said, pushing the bowl towards her mother.

The lightning dragoness was surprised but nodded and patted her daughter on the head. "Thank you Terra. We just need to grind it up nice and soft so we can get it down Crona's throat."

"Not a problem." Terra breathed into her paw, the particles from her ice breath forming a small club-like grinder. She immediately began crushing the leaves and stems into a fine pulp, the ice melting to mix with the sap from the plant.

"That's good enough for now Terra." Thundra stopped her. "Amp, grab me some fresh water please." She asked seeing that the tray had been knocked over during Certo and Cryus's brawl.

"What are we waiting for?" Certo asked anxiously. "Can't we give her the flower right away?"

"If we want to make sure she gets it into her body, we have to clear out her throat first. There's a lot of saliva in there that needs to be washed out first."

"Then we may need some towels," Certo pointed out. He grabbed some of the smaller towels from the knocked over towel shelves. When Amp retuned with the water, Certo soaked the towel and handed it to Thundra.

"Hold her head back, Certo," She ordered. "And don't let her go."

"Not a chance," Certo growled, hoisting Crona up off the sheets and craning her head back. The dragoness moaned in her slumber. Thundra opened her mouth and used a talon to slide the towel inside. Crona began to cough as her gag reflex kicked in. She struggled against Certo's weight but he was determined to hold her tight. It took the lightning dragoness a couple times to wipe most of the thick saliva from the walls of Crona's mouth. Thundra grabbed the bowl of plant pulp and poured it into Crona's mouth.

"Massage her neck so she's not tempted to spit it back up," She instructed the black dragon. Certo looked at her curiously and Thundra realized what she had asked of him. She took a talon and gently caressed the length of the white dragoness's throat. Certo followed her example until Thundra had poured the last of the sticky solution into Crona's maw. "Amp, the water please." Amp lifted the bowl and Thundra took the water to gently pour it into Crona's mouth. When the bowl was empty and Certo had managed to sooth the fluid down her throat, Crona finally lay down to rest on some fresh linens Terra had gathered.

"How long can we expect before she gets better?" Certo asked almost immediately.

"We'll just have to wait and find out," Thundra sighed, setting the remaining two potted plants aside. "It has to enter her bloodstream so that can take anywhere from a few hours to about a day."

"A day?" Certo exclaimed. "But what if it's too late by then? Isn't there a faster way we can get her body to absorb this stuff?"

Thundra pondered his question for a long moment before answering. "There is a way to do it. But you won't like it, granted that the fluids would be almost instantly absorbed into her bloodstream if we did. But like I said, I'm sure you wouldn't want to go through with it."

"What do you mean?" Certo asked. "I'd do anything for Crona right now. Just tell me what I'd have to do." Amp and Terra glanced at each other, trying to keep from snickering. They both knew what Thundra was referring to, though neither had experienced what she was talking about; much to their relief.

Thundra leaned down and lowered her voice as she whispered in Certo's ear. The black dragon listened closely to the dragoness's explanation before his eyes suddenly grew wide and his cheeks began to burn. "That's the only way to get the medicine into her bloodstream instantly." Thundra said, after finishing her explanation. "Do you want to go ahead and try it?"

"Um," Certo looked away sheepishly. He had no idea that an option like this even existed. "I...If it saves her life... I..."

Seeing his extreme embarrassment, Terra stepped forward and placed a paw on Certo's shoulder. "We'll do it Mom. But I'll help with this part. I don't think Certo's ready to perform a procedure such as the one I think you're suggesting."

Amp gave a mild chuckle. "It's a good thing Crona's asleep too. I don't think she'd be ready for such a thing either."

"I'm fine with that." Thundra smiled. "I just wanted Certo to understand that if he wanted his way, it would be rather... extreme."

"I think he gets the point Mom." Terra looked up at Certo whose eyes were as wide as saucers.

"Good. Now both of you mix up another batched of that solution right away and we'll get to work."

Terra and Certo grabbed another flower and followed the same procedure as before; dicing it into smaller pieces before grinding it up with a little bit more melted ice mixed in to make the solution less of a pulpy substance and more fluid-like.

"We may want to keep this little part a secret from Crona," Terra said, glancing from her mother to Certo. Thundra did not hear her daughter's comment as she lifted Crona's tail with one paw. Just seeing that made Certo's eyes widen, his cheeks burn and his heart rate spike. Just as Thundra was about to continue, the black dragon fainted.

Certo groaned in his sleep. It was several hours later and he felt the warmth of two bodies around him.

"Hey, keep it down," Amp whispered. "Nitrus will hear you if you're making noise."

"Huh?" Certo mumbled. He opened his eyes only to find a white cloth draped over his face.

Terra and Amp had taken the linens from the broken towel holder and piled them on top of the black dragon to keep him hidden from the ice guardian when he had returned home. The couple, as well as Thundra, told the truth about Certo bringing the cure for Crona's illness and that a fight had broken out between him and Cryus in the process. Nitrus had heard about the fight from Cryus after he had left and returned to the guardian's temple. By the time he had returned home, Nitrus found no sign of the black dragon; only the mess that had been left behind.

"What's going on?" Certo yawned. He was still tired from his long flight but at least he had gotten some rest.

"You fainted." Terra tried to hide her amused giggle. The idea of the black dragon having a weak spot for such things was not a characteristic she thought he possessed.

"I did?"

"Yeah," Amp nodded as he helped dig the black dragon out from under the pile of towels. "Just as Terra's mom was about to... you know... you passed out."

"Oh." Certo felt his cheeks warm up again. He looked over at the white dragoness on the bed. "And what about Crona?"

"We were able to get the medicine into her." Terra sighed. "It wasn't easy, but we managed to give her the full dose."

Certo cringed slightly at the thought of how much medicine they had to give her. "Has there been any change yet?"

"Listen for yourself." Terra thrust her head towards Crona and Certo fell silent. The room was completely silent except for the sounds of steady breathing.

"She's not wheezing any more," Certo gasped. Terra and Amp smiled. Certo breathed a sigh of relief, sending a warm gust about the room. The breeze caused the white dragoness to stir in her sleep but did not wake completely.

"She came out of her coma about halfway through the night." Terra continued. "She didn't wake up but she started mumbling in her sleep."

"She kept saying your name," Amp snickered.

Certo gave a mild squeak and his joints locked up. Terra elbowed her fiancée and giggled quietly as well. Certo's heart raced and pounded against his chest. He turned away from the couple and looked outside on the balcony. The faint glow of morning was coming up on the other side of the city; morning was right around the corner.

"I had better go." Certo sighed, getting to his feet. "Your family will be up soon and it's probably best if I'm not here when they are."

"We understand." Amp nodded, getting to his feet as well. "When is the next time you're coming by?"

Certo paused to look at the white dragoness. If he could, he would have stayed by her side the entire time. But the fact that he was not a welcomed soul in this city made that desire difficult to achieve. "I think it may be best if I don't come back for a while. She needs her rest. And Cryus was right. If I stay around her, she'll only get sicker because of me."

"Oh Certo, stop it," Terra hissed, trying to keep her voice low. "She's recovering now. Don't start doubting yourself just because of what Cryus said. He just doesn't understand you, that's all."

"Terra, that goes for almost this entire city." Amp pointed out before turning to his friend. "But she is right. You've performed nothing short of a miracle here, Certo. Be proud of your achievement."

Certo stopped to look at the couple. Both stared at him with a strange look in their eyes he had never seen before: admiration. The unfamiliar stare made him feel uncomfortable and he turned towards the balcony. "Make sure she takes care of herself while I'm gone okay? I know she can but just as some friendly reinforcement."

Amp slapped a paw on his cheek. "Did he just call Crona a friend?" He teased sarcastically.

"I can hardly believe it myself," Terra gasped, placing a paw on her chest. "I must be hearing things."

"Oh brother." Certo turned and was about to fly off when he heard Terra hiss at him.

"Pst!" The black dragon turned around as she walked up to him. In her mouth was Crona's gold breast plate. She put it around Certo's neck and clasped it together. It pinched into his skin slightly but the black dragon did not complain. He suddenly felt a new energy swell up inside of him. It felt as if the wisdom from thousands of years was sweeping through him. Certo's eyes seemed to glow in the fading darkness of the room as he looked down at Terra. "Just hold onto that. Give her a reason to come find you."

Certo could only nod dumbly and blush before turning to fly away. When he was gone Terra turned back to her mate as they curled around the towel pile again.

"That was a nice touch." She giggled. "Telling him that Crona was saying his name in her sleep."

"You think so?" Amp asked, feeling somewhat proud of himself for the fib he had come up with. "I was hoping it would spark a little something between them."

"We'll have to wait and see." Terra nuzzled him affectionately before settling down to watch over the white dragoness.

Certo flew on towards the upper levels of the city. Before long he reached the library and bounded inside.

"Hello?" He called, his voice echoing loud in the great chamber. "Annol? Stratus? Anyone?"

"This is a library, young dragon. Keep your voice down." Certo turned to see Stratus and Verona walking out of the back archives. Behind them marched Captain Cytros and his guards. But this time he did not just have a portion of his team, he had the entire militia.

"What's going on?" Certo asked, narrowing his eyes at the city guards.

"I'll explain that in a moment." Stratus raised a paw. "But first, how is your lady friend?"

Certo bobbed his head and tried to hide his smile that was tugging at his cheeks. "She's been given the medicine and she's already starting to recover." He said proudly. "I pretty sure she's going to be okay."

"That's wonderful news." Cytros nodded. "You've performed nothing short of a miracle, kid." He gave a shallow bow as did the rest of the militia. Certo had to avert his eyes to keep from being overly embarrassed again. It was then he realized that the group was one body short.

"Where's Annol? Isn't he here to?"

The dragons all looked at one another. Their sad expressions told Certo that not all was well with them.

"He isn't coming back," Verona mumbled, seeing that Stratus was having a tough time finding the right words to say.

"What? What do you mean he's not coming back?"

Stratus stepped forward to face the black dragon. "Annol is two-hundred and forty years old," He explained. "I'm amazed he was even able to make the trip out that far beyond our city's territory. But I think he realized that he was too old to make the trip back."

Certo shook his head in dismay. "N-no. He... he has to come back. Maybe he's just resting before coming back and he's on his way right now."

"I'm sure this is hard to understand Certo," Cytros said, taking a few steps closer to him. "But Annol just felt that it was his time."

"But what about taking care of this place? Wasn't he the one in charge of that?"

"He's left that duty to Stratus," Verona sighed. "Annol's great grandson." Certo stared at Stratus with wide eyes that were filling with tears.

"I... I... I..." He stammered, suddenly feeling like he could no longer breathe.

"It's just one of those facts of life, Certo." Cytros sighed, placing a paw on the young dragon's shoulder. "I think he felt honored to be able to see such a beautiful place before he died."

"It's my fault!" Certo bawled suddenly collapsing to the cold marble floor. "It's all my fault! He's gone because of me!"

Verona moved to wrap herself around the young dragon, hoping the small gesture would comfort him, even a little. "It's not your fault at all Certo. You don't have to blame yourself. It was his choice."

"But I'm the one who came looking for help! I'm the one who he followed all the way out there! I'm the reason he couldn't fly back!"

"Certo!" Cytros stepped in front of the young dragon and looked him square in the eyes. "This is not your fault! You have to stop blaming yourself for this. Don't think of it as you being responsible for leading Annol out on such a long journey only to die. You led him to a place where he could finally rest in peace."

"That doesn't make me feel any better," Certo growled, unsure if the captain was trying to be funny or not. If he was trying to be funny, Certo was not amused.

"I wish you could have seen the look on his face." Stratus choked as he wiped some tears from his eyes. "He was so happy. It was like he wasn't scared at all." Stratus bowed to Certo as more tears hit the floor. "Certo. You gave Annol peace of mind. Death is not something that is highly looked upon by any living creature. But what you did... by showing him... that the world is far more beautiful, than any of us have ever imagined... and that a soul such as yours, after being shunned and scorned by those around him, can still find it in his heart to save an innocent life... You don't realize how much you taught him, and the rest of us, in just one night. We've been humbled by your act of kindness and your determination Certo. You're no black dragon. You're a divine spirit."

The dragons nodded in agreement with the librarian's words, but Certo was still not convinced.

"So why don't I feel like it?" He muttered. He shrugged free from Verona's embrace and turned towards the front entrance.

"Certo," Stratus called after him. The black dragon stopped and glanced over his shoulder. "You've given us a gift. You've given future generations of dragons a gift. That's something to be proud of." Certo only stood silently staring at the funeral procession.

Verona got to her feet again and walked over to him once more. She bent down and gave him a motherly kiss on the back of his neck. "I know you must be hurting inside just as much as we are," She whispered. "But if you ever need the support of others, we will be right here for you."

"The same goes for us." Cytros nodded before turning to the other sentries. "Am I right?" The guards nodded enthusiastically.

Certo could not bring himself to say anything more. He rubbed his bad eye as it started to glow again before walking out of the library. The city was beginning to wake from its slumber as dragons emerged from their homes to go about their day's work. As he trudged up the hill towards the demolished academy, Certo felt his heart sink lower and lower into his depressive state. He walked across the academy grounds towards the far east side where the gardens had once been; all that remained now was burned rock.

For a long time Certo sat alone, staring at the sunrise in the distance. A warm, refreshing wind blew across the school grounds, pulling his tears from his eyes. "I'm sorry," he choked back a sob. The wind seemed to pick up in response to his words and dried the tears on his cheeks. It felt as if someone was brushing his tears away, which made Certo even more forlorn. He let out a mournful cry as the wind carried a stream of leaves across the academy ground and showered the city with flower petals from the gardens. "I'm sorry!"

Crona groaned as her stomach churned. She had not eaten in nearly two weeks and she was dying for some nourishment. The white dragoness opened her eyes and looked around. She was in the guest room of Terra and Amp's home. But how did she get here? The last thing she remembered was being with Certo and fighting for their lives against a horde of apes before passing out. But they had been miles away from civilization, so how could she be here now?

Another groan escaped her maw as she sat up. Her head throbbed and for a moment she had to fight off the head-rush that swept over her.

"Hey there, sleepy head." Crona turned to see Terra sitting beside the bed, reading a book. "Glad to have you back with us."

Crona blinked curiously. "What happened? How'd I get here?"

"Long story." Terra scrunched her lips up as she recalled the events of the past few weeks. "Certo came back with you in really horrible shape." Terra thrust her head towards Crona's splinted left leg. The white dragoness eyed the injury and remembered the fight she and the black dragon had gotten in.

"It wasn't that bad," She explained but Terra shook her head.

"That's not the half of it. Crona, you almost died." Those words struck the dragoness across the face like a slap.

"I... I what?"

"Almost died," Terra repeated. She went on to tell the white dragoness about her infection and how she had been given no hope for survival. Terra then went on to say how Certo had heroically showed up out of nowhere with the plant needed to cure her.

"Wow," Crona gasped as she stared at the memorium sitting in the corner of the room. "Certo did that for me?"

"I really think he cares about you." Terra smiled, giving the dragoness a nudge. "He barely left your side the entire time."

"But how could he have found the cure if he never left my side?" Crona asked with a skeptical brow raised high.

Terra immediately caught herself and laughed. "You know what I mean. When he was here, he never left your side."

"If he cares so much then where is he now?" Terra fell silent and Crona smirked, seeing that she had caught the ice dragoness in her little lie. "That's what I thought."

"He left about three days ago," Terra explained. "He wanted to give you some space so you could recover. He didn't want to have you stress out with having him around."

Crona's eyes widened. "He didn't!" She struggled to get on her feet but her body was far too weak to move much.

"Easy Crona, you have to recover first before you can even think about moving."

"But Certo may have run off again," Crona protested. "I have to find him!"

"He hasn't run off." Terra assured her.

"How do you know? He's been gone for three days! Or so you say." She narrowed her eyes at Terra.

The ice dragoness only smiled. "If Certo hasn't changed his personality since he brought you back, then I'm certain he's around here somewhere." Crona was not convinced. Terra ignored the suspicious look from Crona and went out to grab her some food from their family's pantry. When she returned she set the tray down beside Crona, paying special attention to her broken leg.

As Crona went about picking away at the fruits and dried meats, she found herself in deep thoughts about the missing black dragon. "You say Certo has changed his personality?"

"Yeah," Terra nodded. "It's like he's no longer the lone, silent black dragon we've come to know so well. He seems to have this new... determination about himself. Like he has a purpose all of a sudden."

"That makes sense," Crona thought to herself.

"He went through great lengths to save you, you know," Terra said, glancing at Crona out of the corner of her eye. "I'm sure if you were awake to hear about what happened, you would still have a hard time believing it."

Crona perked up at that. "What happened?"

Terra giggled and shook her head. "You'll have to ask Certo yourself when you see him."

"Tease." Crona gave a half-hearted sneer. Terra only laughed and stuck her tongue out at her.

It took Crona several days to regain her lost weight. The entire time she had been anxious to get up and move about, having been cooped up indoors for so long. It would still be a few weeks before her leg healed up enough to walk without a cast.

At last Thundra gave her permission to go out with Amp and Terra as her escorts as long as they were cautious.

"We'll take care of her, don't worry." Amp smirked, giving his mate a subtle wink.

The three dragons flew out across the city following Crona's quickened pace. Terra and Amp followed silently as Crona checked all the possible places she could think of that Certo may have been. The gardens were empty all around the city. The academy was still being cleaned up and leveled for reconstruction, but there was no sign of Certo there either. Crona even asked the guards who patrolled the city if they had seen him. The sentries were a bit hesitant at first but eventually they replied that they had not seen him since he had returned with the memorium that had saved the white dragoness's life.

"He said that he was trying to save a friend." One of the fire sentries explained as he looked the young dragoness over. "But he never mentioned how beautiful you are."

"Th-thank you." Crona blushed, lowering her eyes to the ground. "I appreciate the help."

"It's an honor, miss." The dragon bowed to her which surprised Crona. "I have been humbled thanks to that extraordinary young male. You're very lucky to have a friend like that."

"A friend..." The word echoed in Crona's mind. "Yes, I suppose you're right. Thank you again." She called back as she took off into the air again. The sentry smiled as he watched them go before retuning to his patrol.

"That was a surprise." Amp almost chuckled. "Certo went to the library for help on how to research the cure? I never thought I'd live to see the day when he set foot inside such a place on his own."

"I can hardly believe it myself," Crona mumbled.

"Hey, maybe he's not in the city at all," Terra suddenly exclaimed. "Maybe he's outside the city somewhere."

"That narrows it down a bit," Crona said sarcastically, already beginning to worry that the black dragon indeed had run off again.

"Well let's just start with some places we've been to before and go from there." Terra shrugged. "He has to show up sooner or later."

"He'd better." Crona narrowed her eyes at the trees below as they flew out away from the city bounds. Her first instinct was to head straight for the Silver River. It was the only place she could think of to start their search. Upon seeing the gleam of the water against the sun in the sky, Crona dove down low, being careful not to get her cast wet as they skimmed over the water's surface. Up ahead, the dragoness spotted the pebble beach where Amp and Terra had taken them on a previous outing. She came in for a soft landing, wincing at the slight pain that shot up her leg. "Ow," she whimpered and nearly stumbled forward.

The sudden sound of her voice caught the attention of the black dragon. Certo had been sitting beneath the shade of an old willow at the edge of the forest thinking quietly to himself. His mind was a mess with the thoughts and memories of his life over the past few months. The memories of his murdered family, the attack on the city, his reunion with Neros, his many arguments with Crona, his desperate attempt to save her life and losing a newfound friend in the process all weighed heavily on his shoulders. But when he looked up and saw the white dragoness walking down the pebble beach, he forgot everything he had been thinking about and rushed out to meet her.

"Crona!" His shout grabbed her attention and she looked over towards the trees to see him bound out of the shadows.

"Certo!" She hobbled over to try and meet him half way, but her lameness slowed her down.

The black dragon draped his wings around her in comforting hug. "You're okay." He sighed deeply, breathing in her fresh scent. "I thought you were going to die."

"Never." Crona shook her head as she buried her face into his chest. "I'm not going anywhere."

"What a relief," Certo thought to himself as he hung his head over hers. He wanted to cry but he had done plenty of that already. Right now he just wanted to relish being in her company.

Several yards away, Amp and Terra smiled at the sight before them.

"Isn't that cute?" Amp snickered, draping a wing over his fiancée.

Terra sighed, leaning her head on his shoulder. "Yeah. They do make a really nice couple."

Crona and Certo snapped to attention at that and immediately broke away from one another. "You've got it all wrong!" Crona squeaked, trying to hide the blood that rushed to her cheeks. "I was just showing my gratitude for saving my life." She glanced up at Certo who was trying to avoid eye contact with her but was not being very successful. "After all he went through, just for me, I think it would be rude of me not to express my thanks in some fashion."

"Uh huh, I see." Amp chuckled. "And Certo? What's your excuse."

"Uh..." The black dragon's mouth fell open as he tried to find a suitable excuse. "I'm just relieved that she's alive and well. I would have felt horrible if something had happened to her because of me."

"Oh, don't start that again." Terra rolled her eyes. "She's fine and that's all that matters. Who cares if you were to blame for it?"

"Thanks… I think," Certo narrowed his eyes at the grey dragoness.

"Any time, you two." Terra giggled. Crona looked away from her and noticed her breast plate around Certo's neck.

"I'm glad to see you took care of it," She said.

Certo looked down at the jewelry and felt his heart beat faster. "Yeah, well... um... I thought it looked good on me... "

"Uh huh." Crona nodded plainly. "It does look good on you."

"Really? You think so?" Certo glanced from her to the breast plate and back again.

"I do." Crona nodded.

"Does that mean I can keep it?"

"No. Give it back." Crona sneered with a faint smile tugging at her mouth.

"Fine, I didn't want this thing anyways. It pinches my neck too much."

"Yeah, that's not good," Crona shook her head. She unclipped the breast plate before slinging it around her own neck. "We can't be cutting off the blood flow to your head now, can we? Your brain needs that blood to think."

"Har, har," Certo growled. "Maybe I should have broken your mouth instead of your leg."

"Oh, clever Certo." Crona scoffed with a mocking laugh. "Did you come up with that one on your own? Or have you forgotten about what I can really do when it comes to using my powers?"

"It won't do you any good if you have to sit like a bump on a log the entire time."

"It's called concentrating. Maybe you should try it sometime, you Neanderthal."

As the two dragons continued to banter back and forth, Amp and Terra rolled their eyes and turned to walk away. "Looks like things are back to normal," the lightning guardian rolled his eyes.

"More like they're back to normal," Terra sighed, glancing over her shoulder at them. "And here I thought they had actually fallen for each other."

"Since when are things ever that simple where those two are concerned?"

"Point taken." Terra rolled her eyes as well before they flew off towards home.

"Here you go," Kia said, extending her wing out before her, allowing Certo and Crona to get a good look at the room. The two dragons were in the air guardian's home, being led to the back guest room. It was easily twice the size of Terra and Amp's guest room. It was also clear to Crona that it was originally meant to be a couple's room. "I'm not sure how you two like for things to be set up, so I left you piles of any possible materials you might need along the wall there." She gestured to a line of pillows, blankets, potted plants, baskets filled with rolls of paper and a bucket of fresh water.

"You didn't have to do this for me," Certo muttered, looking back at his former instructor. "I don't want you jeopardizing your title as guardian." He remembered those words from the fight with Cryus beforehand. Terra and Amp had told her about it but Certo was quick to point out he had not initiated it. Thankfully the dragoness was not in any frame of mind to point talons at who was right or wrong.

"I'm sure he'll come around." She had said after hearing the story from the black dragon himself. "You'll see."

"I'm not doing it just for you, Certo," Kia explained. "I'm doing it because I care about you. Both of you." She looked down at Crona as well who averted her gaze. When the air guardian had come to Crona with news that she wished to take Certo in, the white dragoness had made it clear that Certo was not allowed to go anywhere unless she was with him. The guardian made no objection and seemed rather enthusiastic about the idea; which seemed rather curious in Crona's opinion. "Nitrus was rather insistent that you have a safe home where no one would suddenly walk in on you."

"Nitrus?" Crona raised a skeptical brow. "He planned this?"

Kia nodded. "He's your typical overprotective father most of the time and he can seem rather unfair. But when his mate gets involved she can definitely strike some sense into him." Crona and Kia both chuckled but Certo missed the joke. "After all, we don't want Cryus suddenly catching you within the city limits." Kia added, glancing at Certo. "Anyways, enough talk from me. I'll leave you two to get settled in together." She turned to leave and Crona thought she detected a sly glint in her golden-yellow eyes. "If you need anything at all, don't be shy to ask."

"Thank you," Crona and Certo said together before shooting each other a surprised look.

Kia laughed as she ducked behind the curtain. "So cute," She thought to herself.

When she was gone, Certo pulled several of the pillows out for Crona to lie on. As she rested her broken leg, she began looking out the window at the bright blue sky beyond. Certo stood at the doorway to the balcony and watched as the songbirds chirped in the trees nearby.

"Are you okay?" Crona asked, seeing that he was being overly quiet.

"I'm fine." Certo nodded. "Just thinking."

"About your brother?" Certo nodded and Crona sighed. "Well, how about we worry about that once we get settled in. If you're going to try and stop him from doing so many horrible things, you'll need a clear head to do so."

Certo paused before turning back to lie down next to her. "I guess you're right," He mumbled.

Crona shifted slightly closer to him and gave him a friendly nudge with her good shoulder. "It'll be fine Certo. I promise everything will work out."

The black dragon felt a smile tug at the corner of his mouth but the image in his mind of Neros kept him from smiling all the way. "I hope so," He thought to himself. "I really hope so."


	22. Chapter 22

Certo paced impatiently around the room. It had only been a day since the air guardian, Kia, had taken him and Crona in, but already the black dragon was beginning to feel restless. He had been up for a few hours, just after the sun had risen. Kia, being the early riser that she was had gone in to check on her two former students and had offered Certo some breakfast while he waited for Crona to wake up. Certo had been hesitant to accept her offer, but eventually he decided that it would be best if he gathered his strength in preparation to face his brother again.

The white dragoness could sense the black dragon's fretful pacing, but tried to ignore it. At first she managed to successfully drown out the soft sound of Certo's paws on the carpeted floor. However, as time went on, Certo began to grow more agitated and began his usual habit of sighing irritably. When this happened a cold breeze would blow about the room, rustling papers and sending a chill up Crona's spine. After the ninth or tenth time, Crona could no longer stand the constant chill.

"A little apprehensive are we?" She asked sarcastically, once she opened her eyes.

"What?" Certo jerked his head around, as he had been in a deep state of concentration.

"I've sensed you pacing about the room for the last hour or so." Crona yawned widely. "It was keeping me awake."

Certo's wings ruffled slightly. "If you were awake then why didn't you just get up? I've been waiting for you this whole time."

"I was trying to rest, Certo." Crona narrowed her eyes at him, sensing another possible argument coming on. "I need to rest if my leg is going to recover faster." She nudged her cast with her snout and noticed the way Certo stared sadly at her fractured limb. "I'm sorry," the dragoness shook her head suddenly feeling ashamed. "I didn't mean to bring that up in such a way."

"It's not your fault," Certo sighed, sending another chill up Crona's spine. "It's the least I deserve."

Crona gave Certo a sidelong glance. "Certo, is something bothering you?"

"Yes, there's something bothering me!" Certo suddenly snapped. "And he's called Neros! Or have you forgotten?" The white dragoness was silent for a moment. She had secretly hoped that with everything he had been through in the past two weeks, Certo had forgotten about his brother, but apparently he hadn't. "He's still out there and I have no idea where to start looking for him!"

"Certo, calm down. You need a level head to think this through."

The black dragon stopped his rant and took in a deep breath. "You're right. I'm sorry. It's just... Neros... He never used to be like this."

"And it frustrates you to see him like this, doesn't it?" Crona struggled a bit to sit up on her hind legs. She tilted her head to the side and popped the vertebrae in her neck and spine.

Certo nodded after a moment. "I can't relax when I know that any minute, he can launch a surprise attack. And then what do I do? Sit back as he has the apes kill more dragons? And don't even get me started on him using that new power of his."

Crona raised a brow. "What power?"

"I told you already." Certo sighed, shaking his head. "It's like he breathes fire or some sort of breath attack. But it's purple."

"Convexity."

"What?" Certo suddenly turned to look at the dragoness who was staring at him hard.

"It's called convexity," Crona explained. "It's not a natural breath attack. From what I've been able to study of it, it's a void energy."

"A void energy?" Certo narrowed his eyes before shaking his head again. "Wait, you've seen this power before?"

Crona nodded. "When I say a void energy I mean it's a power that would be the opposite of the ones that reside throughout our world. Most dragons have breath attacks..."

"All dragons have breath attacks," Certo interrupted.

Crona was about to curl her lip and scold him but bit her tongue and held up a paw. "Let me finish. Breath attacks are a positive energy source. Convexity is a negative energy. It's an energy that balances the power of our world so the elements don't spiral out of control." Crona looked down at her feet as she remembered her travels as a youngster. "I've only known three dragons who have possessed this power. And I've seen how much damage it can do."

"You've seen others with this power? Where? Can you take me to them? Maybe they can teach me how to use it. Or teach me how to fight against it so I can stop Neros."

The white dragoness shook her head. "You can't."

Certo jolted slightly. "Why not?"

"Because one of them is dead." Crona replied, her temper flaring up at the horrible memory of the Dark Master. "And the other two..." Her voice drifted off as she began to think about the purple dragon she had been secretly following on his quest to stop the Dark Master. "You just can't."

"But why?"

"Certo!" Crona fixed him with a fierce stare, instantly silencing him. "I'm asking you to trust me when I say, you can't. Please."

A sudden chill ran down Certo's spine as he stared at the white dragoness. She looked as if she were about to cry and explode with rage at the same time. Just talking about these unknown dragons seemed to strike a sensitive note in her soul. After a moment of silence he nodded. "Alright Crona. I trust you."

The dragoness smiled briefly before laying down again. "So we know your brother has the power of convexity. The question in my mind is, does he know how to use it?"

Certo's muzzle scrunched up as he thought about it. "I don't think so. At least not that well."

"That's a start." Crona nodded thoughtfully. "But it's been a while since you last saw him right? So he may have been trying to master it since then."

"Knowing Neros, I'm sure he is. But most likely he's been doing it in seclusion. He never practiced anything around my other family members. I was the only one who ever practiced with him. His eyesight was really bad when he was younger so he could only go out at night and I was the only one who would ever be willing to go out with him. Heck, not even I know how he learned some of his techniques, or where he even came up with any of the concepts behind them. But it always amazed me that he was able to overcome every obstacle that was thrown in his path."

Crona stared up at the black dragon with sad eyes. "Sounds like you two were really close."

Certo paused and stared at his paws. Eventually he noticed the scars on his legs and chest and his lip twitched slightly. "That was a long time ago. Things have changed since then."

"Maybe not entirely." Crona gave a low grunt as she struggled to get back up on her haunches. "You still care about Neros. I can hear it in your voice. Maybe if we can find him, we can convince him that what he's planning is not going to make things better and get him to end this war."

"War? What are you talking about?" Certo narrowed his eyes at the dragoness.

"It doesn't matter," Crona continued, ignoring his question. "The point is we may have a chance to end things if we just talk to him. He sounds like a smart dragon, so I would assume he's not without the mind-set to listen to reason."

"It won't work." Certo growled.

Crona looked at him curiously. "Why not?"

"Because I know Neros. When he has his mind set on something, he sticks with it. He's his own dragon and no one can ever tell him what to do."

"But you can!"

"No, I can't!" Certo snapped, suddenly frightening Crona. "He won't listen to me. Never again. Not after what happened."

"What happened?" Crona asked after a long pause.

"I was supposed to meet Neros one night. From what I understand he was going to show me this new power... convexity, as you call it. But my older brother Ebony stopped me. I wasn't able to meet Neros and I think he believes I abandoned him."

"But that's just one more reason to talk to him. Get this whole thing straightened out!"

Certo only shook his head. "It won't work, Crona. Neros is my twin. We know each other better than anyone else in existence. I know he's not going to listen to me if I try."

"Then let me talk to him. I know what it's like to be in his place. I know what it's like when you're different from everyone else. You even know that yourself."

"It still won't work," Certo muttered. "He doesn't know you and I don't want to risk your life. Not after I just got you back."

Crona's cheeks flushed slightly but she continued her argument. "But wouldn't it be worth it to give it a try? Resolve this peacefully without more bloodshed? And isn't one life just a small sacrifice for hundreds of thousands that may be lost if we don't at least attempt a non-violent solution?"

"Not when it's yours," Certo growled. The sound was an angry one and Crona felt her own temper rise from the noise. "Every life should be cherished. There are no acceptable losses."

"So why is it you're so bent on killing your brother then?" Crona asked defiantly. "Is his life not precious to you?"

"It was at one point. But now that he's planning this genocidal act upon your city, I have no choice but to stop him."

"First of all this isn't my home." Crona reminded him. "And secondly..."

"I don't want to hear it," Certo interrupted, silencing the dragoness. "But I'm going to ask you, Crona, to trust me when I say this isn't going to work out by just talking. Talking doesn't do anything. Doing, does something."

"But..."

"Crona!" Certo turned and brought his face close to hers and stared her hard in the eye. "Please. Trust me. Just this once. It's all I'm asking." The white dragoness stared into Certo's intense eyes. She could not understand why he was so bent on this decision.

Crona gave a defeated sigh and force a slight smile. "Alright Certo, I'll trust you."

"Thank you." Certo nodded in relief. Several minutes passed silently before Crona decided to speak again.

"So what is your plan for finding your brother?"

"I'm still not sure," Certo mumbled, sitting down next to her. "I chased after him before, but..." He glanced at Crona who rolled her eyes.

"I know. You were trying to track him down while I was trying to track you down." She knew what he was going to say, but she did not want to remember that particular event.

"We can't exactly wait for Neros to come back so we have to find him beforehand."

"It seems to me that he must have gone pretty far," Crona pondered aloud. "We traveled for, what? Almost five days? So if you consider the speed we fly at and the time it took between your brother taking off and us following after him, I can only guess that we either went in the wrong direction or he was a lot farther ahead of us than we thought."

"We didn't go the wrong way." Certo shook his head. "I'm positive of that."

"How can you be?" Crona raised a skeptical brow. "We found no sign of your brother at all. Though we did find that throng of disgusting apes." Merely mentioning the savage creatures was enough to make Crona's temper rise and her blood boil with hate.

"That's exactly the point," Certo pointed out. "Because we found those apes, I'm certain we were on the right track to finding Neros. We may have even been relatively close to their... um..." He paused and looked at Crona. "You're the expert on everything. What do apes live in?"

Crona recoiled from the statement but she refrained from making any sort of slashing retort. She thought for a long time but came up with no answer. "You know, I've never learned about where the apes really lived. All I know is that they resided in a large secluded area of the enchanted forest, far from dragon territory."

"Does that mean city territory or feral?" Certo asked narrowing his eyes.

"Good question," Crona replied, trying to think harder about her studies during the war and in the dragon city library. "I don't believe it was specifically mentioned. But knowing the way things are around here, I would be willing to bet city territory."

"That's what I was afraid of," Certo growled, flexing his claws on the cushion.

"No need to get upset, Certo," Crona scolded. "It was a good question. It was just one that I don't have the answer to." A subtle smile spread across her muzzle as she stared at him. "You know, I never thought of you as the critically-thinking type."

Certo only glared at her. "There's a lot about me you don't know."

"I can relate," Crona nodded. Certo stared at her and was about to open his mouth to speak when Crona interrupted him. "Continuing with our discussion, what would you suggest be our next plan?"

Certo thought for a long time. He was completely lost on what to do. Waiting for his brother to show up again would only result in the unnecessary loss of more dragons as well as his own inevitable death. His main concern was: would he be able to defeat his brother in combat entirely? The power of convexity had frightened him when he first saw it. The memory of seeing its destructive force still caused the black dragon's wings to ruffle uncomfortably. Neros had barely just learned how to use the power, but now Certo was certain he was mastering how to use it to its full extent.

The black dragon's thoughts seemed to make him drift into a light trance. Thinking about his brother's power caused Certo to remember Neros's uncanny ability to read movement in the wind. He knew how to use this technique as well but his twin was much more skilled in it. Outside, the leaves in the trees rustled as a gentle breeze blew through the pavilions. The dragons of the city felt the wind and seemed to react to its pleasant warmth. The gentle gust seemed to relax them after weeks of being fearful for their lives and young.

"Certo?" Crona waved a paw in front of the black dragon's face, snapping him out of his meditative state.

"Huh?" Certo blinked several times and looked down at her. "What happened?"

"You tell me." Crona raised her brow again. "You're the one who spaced out. It looked like you were still thinking but then your eyes kind of glazed over for a minute." She smirked at him slyly. "What were you thinking about? Or were you just getting bored and about to fall asleep?"

"Har har." Certo sneered. "I was just thinking that maybe the night watch can help us."

"Do you think they will?"

Certo nodded. "I'm certain they will."

"Then I suggest we start thinking of what we're going to ask them while we wait for night to fall."

The two dragons continued talking about their plans until the sun began to set. A couple times Kia had come in, bringing them some food to snack on while they discussed their business. The air guardian made no attempt to intrude on them, giving them the feeling that they had complete privacy to their business. Certo allowed for Crona to take several naps throughout the day, making sure she got the rest she needed so her leg would heal faster. By the time nightfall came she was feeling much better about standing up, while keeping her broken limb tucked to her body.

"Easy now," Certo whispered as he helped her out onto the balcony.

"I'm fine, Certo," She hissed, trying to move away from his supporting shoulder. "I can take care of myself."

"Oh so it's okay for you to act all tough and not accept help from others but it's not okay for me?"

"That's not what I'm saying at all," Crona snapped quietly.

"Well it sure seems like it," Certo shot back.

"So you're admitting you were just acting tough, and you're just a big softy now, are you?"

"Shut up!" Certo growled. "We have work to do. Now let's go!"

He sprang off the balcony and glided down to the streets below. Crona smiled, seeing that she had pressed a sensitive button with him again, and followed after him. The city was dimly lit with the occasional torch hanging on the side of a building structure, casting a fiery glow about the streets. The moons in the sky were the main source of nighttime illumination. Certo moved in the shadows with Crona hobbling along behind him, stumbling every so often, but only to have Certo look back and catch her before she could hit the ground.

"Thanks," she whispered after her third time losing her balance.

"Don't mention it." Certo nodded, his eyes seeming to glow in the darkness. "Ever." He set Crona back on her feet and turned his back to her. The white dragoness was almost certain she detected a faint smile on his muzzle as he turned away from her. A smile tugged at her cheek as well but she remained silent.

Before long, Certo and Crona neared the city library. As usual it was illuminated from the inside, sending rays of light into the streets and across the rooftops. Certo and Crona slipped inside and paused to let their eyes adjust to the light.

"Hello?" Certo called through the great chamber. "Stratus? Verona? Is anyone here?"

The sound of voices came from one of the upper levels, and a moment later the old earth dragon and his great granddaughter appeared.

"Certo, you're back!" Verona exclaimed in surprise. The two older dragons glided down to the pair and landed before them, giving Certo a respectful bow. Crona's brows jumped when she saw this and looked at Certo who pretended not to notice her stare.

"How are you, young dragon?" Stratus asked, after getting to his feet.

Certo only shrugged. "Okay, I suppose."

The librarian nodded and glanced down at Crona. "And is this the young female whose life you saved?" The black dragon nodded.

"Hello," Crona said, taking a shaky step forward and bowing as much as she could. "I'm Crona. It's nice to meet you both."

"Oh, she's so charming." Verona smiled and gave Certo a sneaky grin. "You didn't say how beautiful she was."

Certo and Crona's cheeks burned deep red as they shot each other a quick glance before averting their eyes from one another.

Stratus chuckled and returned the bow to Crona. "Young dragoness, you are indeed fortunate to have such a male as Certo in your life. He truly is a remarkable soul."

"He went through quite a lot of trouble for you." Verona nodded in agreement. "I've never seen such fiery determination in my life. You two really are quite a couple."

"Couple?" Certo and Crona squeaked. "We're not a couple!"

"You're not?" Verona raised a brow, glancing from one adolescent to the other.

"No way!" Certo shook his head

"With him? Not in a thousand years!" Crona nearly scoffed.

Stratus and Verona shared a perplexed look.

"Well, if that is not the case then you should be thankful for a friend such as him." Stratus pointed out. "Don't ever let him out of your life for any reason my dear. Do I make myself clear?"

Crona's cheeks still burned with embarrassment. "I understand." She nodded dumbly.

"Good." Stratus nodded with a grin. "Now, what brings you to the library again, young Certo? Do you need another dose of memoriums? They have been flourishing quite well since we brought them back."

"No, that won't be necessary." Certo shook his head. "I appreciate the offer but they are for your use, not mine. I...we... are here because we need your help again."

"Oh?" Verona reared her head back slightly. The black dragon's tone worried her. "What seems to be the problem?"

"We were wondering if you could possibly find Captain Cytros for us." Certo continued. "We could really use his help right now.

"I would imagine he is on patrol with the militia right now," Stratus replied and looked out into the darkness beyond the main entrance. "Verona, would you be willing to fetch the Captain for us?"

"Absolutely." Verona nodded, moving to leave the library.

"I'll come with you," Crona said, turning to follow her out.

"It's not safe for you to be walking about in the darkness." Verona shook her head. "You should wait here."

"She'll be fine," Certo called back over his shoulder. "Crona's no stranger to danger." The white dragoness looked at him with a surprised expression on her face. "She can take care of herself. I've seen what she's capable of." Verona and Stratus glanced between the two youngsters before giving in.

"Very well." Verona sighed. "I trust Certo's word."

"Thank you." Crona nodded with a smile. She looked at Certo, who twitched his cheek slightly, trying to hide his smirk. Crona bobbed her head and turned to follow Verona into the darkened city.

"If I may ask, young Certo," Stratus inquired once they had gone. "What seems to be the problem?"

"It has to do with the apes that attacked the city," Certo muttered darkly. "We're trying to find where their territory is. The only problem is we have no idea where it is exactly. All Crona and I have been able to come up with is a rough idea of where it might be."

"What you're looking for sounds extremely dangerous, Certo." Stratus narrowed his eyes at the black dragon. "What are you so curious for?"

"I'm trying to stop something from happening that may cause more lives to be lost."

"Another attack?"

"A war," Certo answered, a growl rumbling in his throat.

Stratus's eyes widened. "Oh my."

"I need your help. Annol said you know this library better than anyone around. Do you know where I'd be able to find information on outlying territories beyond the ones dragons have claimed?"

"I am not certain you will find anything extremely specific on the apes." Stratus pondered aloud, turning to look around the main chamber. "But I'm sure there will be something we could use somewhere. Follow me." The old dragon led Certo towards the back rooms where he stored a collection of maps and geographic books. The librarian began pulling out scrolls and rolled up maps, which Certo immediately opened up and began to look at. The first map was extremely complex and he furrowed his brow as he tried to decipher its inscriptions. Stratus seemed to notice and lay down next to him. The next hour was spent teaching the black dragon how to read the map key and how to properly read the map itself. By the time Stratus had finished, Verona had returned with Captain Cytros and three of his escorts.

"Young Certo. It is good to see you are well." The captain bowed along with his squad-mates. "How can I assist you tonight?" Certo went on talking about the discussion he and Crona had earlier that day, and how they were hoping that they had seen or heard something during their nighttime rounds. Cytros shook his head apologetically. "I'm sorry to say, but there hasn't been a single sighting since the initial attack. Not even so much as a scout party has been sighted or heard."

"Damn it!" Certo growled, slapping the floor with his paw. "I can't just wait around and do nothing while Neros prepares another attack. I cant have anymore dragons die because of me!"

"Certo, what in our ancestors names are you talking about?" Stratus demanded, not liking the black dragon's sudden display or anger.

"All this is happening because of me! Neros wants to kill every dragon alive because of the way my family treated him! My own brother wants me dead and everyone around me! I can't let that happen!"

"Did you mistreat him?" Stratus asked, narrowing his green eyes at the young dragon.

Certo shook his head. "No. I always tried treating Neros as an equal at the very least. No one in the family looked out for him but me!"

"Then this is not your fault!" Stratus pointed out. "You cannot hold yourself responsible for the actions of others whom you have done your best to treat fairly and justly!"

"But I..." A sudden blow caught Certo across the face, stunning him for a moment.

"Certo! Listen to what Stratus is saying!" Verona scolded. "You are not a celestial dragon! Some things are beyond your power!" Certo stared at the ice dragoness in shock as he clutched at his throbbing cheek. He wanted to say something that would prove his point but the words escaped him.

It was then he looked around the group of faces to notice something. "Where's Crona?"

It took Verona a good fifteen minutes to track down Captain Cytros. She had asked the first guard she came across where to locate him and had hurried to the given location as quickly as possible. The whole time, Crona hobbled along like a three-legged dog trying to keep up with the librarian.

As they had been told, the captain was on the northwest edge of the city with a small group of sentries, planning out their night shift routines.

"Captain," Verona called in a hushed voice as she and Crona approached.

Cytros looked up in surprise at seeing the blue dragoness coming down the street towards him. "Verona. What are you doing here?" He asked, narrowing his eyes at her in the dim light. "It's not safe for you out here."

"I'm a grown dragoness, Captain. I am perfectly capable of handling myself by now," Verona responded boastfully. Then her eyes locked with his and a smile spread across her mouth. "Though I'm certain if I were in danger you would be there to assist me."

Cytros smirked back. "That I would my lady." It was then he noticed the white dragoness beside her, standing out against the darkness of the night. "And who might this young lady be?"

"This is Crona." Verona bobbed her head towards the young dragoness. "She's the dragoness Certo saved."

"It's an honor." Cytros bowed, along with the other males, once again throwing the dragoness off guard.

"And it's a pleasure to meet you as well." Crona also dipped her upper body.

"We were hoping you would be able to help us," Verona continued, dispensing of the formalities. "Crona and Certo have been trying to track down the apes that attacked the city earlier this month."

The sentries all stared at the young dragoness in disbelief. "Why would you wish to seek out such barbaric and vile creatures?" Cytros asked skeptically.

"Certo and I have reason to believe that a war may be coming soon." Crona explained. "We're trying to prevent the apes from attacking again but we need to find where they are hiding first so we can stop them."

Cytros growled slightly at the idea. He did not like the thought of two young dragons like Certo and Crona going out on their own to stop something as cataclysmic as a war. "I'm sorry to say it, but there haven't been any sightings of any apes since their first attack."

"Nothing?" Crona's brows jumped in surprise. The apes had always been ruthless in tracking down dragons and plotting surprise attacks during the days of the war. "Not even so much as a scouting party?"

Cytros shook his head. "Nothing to report so far. I'm sorry. We tried getting info out of the prisoners we captured from the first time but they've been extremely tight-lipped about anything."

"Wait, you have apes in this city right now?" Crona gasped. Even Verona looked as shocked as Cytros.

The fire guard nodded. "We stopped them from fleeing in hopes of finding out what their motives were for attacking our city and discover who their leader was so the guardians could work out a diplomatic solution."

"The guardians don't know how to handle the apes," Crona spat. Just thinking about Volcanus and Tectonica made her angry at the thought of them trying to settle a dispute with the apes peacefully. In her mind, she could only view them making matters worse.

Then an idea popped into her head and she looked back up at Cytros. "Would you allow me to interrogate the apes you captured myself?"

"I don't think so." Cytros shook his head.

"I know how to deal with the apes. I've had long-term experience dealing with how they think and act. I know what I'm doing."

"I'm sorry." Cytros frowned. "But I can't allow it."

"You'd allow Certo to." Crona pointed out, instantly silencing the captain. "I'm asking in his name. Will you let me try and get some information out of them. Please." Cytros remained silent. "Please. It may be the key to saving thousands of dragon lives."

Cytros thought it over for another minute before turning to an armored lightning dragon on his left. "Voltrus. I want you to escort Crona to the prisoners. If they make any sort of threatening move towards her, kill them. I won't have Certo's mate endangered." Crona felt her heart beat faster against her chest wall but pushed the comment out of her mind. This was not going to be the last time she would be mistaken as Certo's significant other.

"I understand," the sentry nodded sharply. "Come." He jerked his head for Crona to follow him. The white dragoness hobbled after him, but not before bowing thankfully to Cytros.

When the white dragoness was out of sight, Verona turned to the captain. "Shall we?"

"I suppose we shall." Cytros nodded, following the ice dragoness up the hill.

Voltrus led Crona towards the middle of the city where the council temple stood. He led her around the back of the large building and down a hidden flight of stairs deep under the city. The caverns were lit with torches casting long shadows across the walls. At the bottom of the stairwell stood a tall fire breather in shining silver armor. He bowed his head politely to his fellow guard, but looked curiously at Crona as she faltered along behind him.

Across the chamber was a single cell; and within that cell sat three smelly apes. The barbarians sat with their backs to the cold wall and glared out at the dragons with their dark eyes.

"Be careful," Voltrus cautioned Crona as he leaned down towards her. "They may be contained but they're still wild beasts."

Crona did not like the lightning dragon's attitude but she could also not bring herself to disagree with him. Voltrus and the guard watched as Crona sauntered up to the bars of the cell. The apes looked down at her curiously.

"What have we here?" The biggest of the three chuckled in a deep voice.

"Spare me the sly talk," Crona snapped. "I'm here on business."

"Oh really?" The apes laughed mockingly at her. It was a noise they had not made in what felt like years. "And what are you here to do? Make us babysit you?"

Another burst of laughter made Crona's face turn red with anger. "I'm not that nice to you stink-pots." The apes immediately fell silent. "I want to know why you attacked this city. You have had no right to invade a dragon city and have had no provocation until now. So what made you do it?"

The apes stared at her for a tense moment before looking up to the two guards. "You're sending this little whelp to do your job for you? You dragons are pathetic!"

"Listen up!" Crona shouted, rearing on her hind legs and striking the lock on the bars. "I know you goons are too stupid to arrange your own plans for war, so you must have gotten help from someone else. Where is he?"

The apes looked at each other nervously. "What makes you think we'd tell you?"

Crona narrowed her eyes and lowered her voice so the guards could not hear. "Because I'm far more powerful than he is," She whispered, giving a special emphasis on the word 'powerful'. "I know what he's capable of and that he's offered you power of your own. But if you take me to him, you can have far more power than you could ever imagine."

The apes eyes grew wide. "You're bluffing!" The biggest growled.

"Am I?" Crona halted time and quickly hobbled back to the fire guard and grabbed a key that was on his foreleg. She hobbled back and unlocked the cage before hustling to put the key away and reposition herself before the apes. When she released her hold on time she smiled slyly at the baboons. "I just opened this cell for you goons and you haven't even realized it. If you don't take me to your so-called master, then I can leave you to rot and then you will have no power what so ever!"

The apes glanced down at the lock and back to the white dragoness. The first ape lunged forward, thrusting the cell door open, knocking Crona to the ground. Voltrus and the fire guard's eyes grew wide as the three apes charged them. The biggest slammed into Voltrus, knocking him into the wall. The lightning dragon roared and charged up a burst of electricity. The ape howled and struck the dragon across the face with his elbow, knocking him unconscious. The remaining two apes tackled the fire guard to the ground as a wave of fire scorched the ceiling above them. Crona ducked and covered her head as the flames licked at her from above.

The two apes slammed the fire guard's head against the wall, splattering blood across the cold stone. The dragon slumped to the ground and didn't move. The lead ape walked over and grabbed a sharp rock that lay on the floor and raised his arm high.

"No!" Crona shouted. The ape froze in time as she beat her wings, propelling herself across the room and into the ape's side. The ape howled as he hit the wall hard and crumbled to the ground. Crona thought she had killed him but saw that he was breathing slightly. She sighed with relief before looking at the ape's comrades. "If you want anything from me, then you will kill no more dragons until I say so. Understood?"

The apes growled as they looked at one another. Crona snorted and trudged up the stairwell and into the warm night air. She paused to look around to see if the noise had stirred up any commotion. Luckily no one was around.

"Alright now. Which way do we go?" She asked. She turned around just as a heavy blow struck her across the face.

Neros released a thunderous roar across the plains just on the outskirts of the enchanted forest. The ground rippled and shook from the sonic blast and a burst of convexity erupted from the back of his throat. The concentrated beam of energy hit a small hill and an explosion shook the earth. As rocks and grass rained down from the sky, the albino black dragon smiled proudly to himself.

"Nearly perfect," He snickered. "It won't be long now."

"Master!" Neros jumped at the sudden voice. He had been so focused on mastering his new power he had completely neglected paying attention to his surroundings. The albino dragon turned to see two apes strutting towards him from the cover of the trees. One carried a white dragoness with gold rings on her left horn and tail and an elaborate breast plate.

Neros glared at them and turned away from his practice field. "What is the meaning of this? You interrupt my personal time and once more you bring a filthy dragon with you?" He stomped over to the ape carrying the dragoness and struck him in the gut with his tail blade. The ape gasped in shock as the serrated spearhead plunged into his stomach. Neros yanked his tail blade out, hurling the ape along with it. Crona's body hit the ground and the sudden pain caused her to wake from her unconscious state. Neros spread his wings and convexity began to emanate from his body. He fired a blast of purple energy from his maw and destroyed the ape's limp body in an eruption of purple fire and earth. He turned his attention to the remaining ape who cowered before him.

"M-Master. We brought her back as a prisoner. She said she wished to see you because she could grant us more power."

Neros glanced over at Crona, who was struggling to rise. The albino turned his eyes back to the ape and bared his teeth. "She can grant you more power than I can? Did she say exactly how?"

"N-no..."

"Then how can you be certain she's not lying to you?" Neros growled. "She could have led more dragons to us and now she's only waiting for them to arrive."

"She... broke us out of imprisonment. " The ape swallowed hard. "It was like she didn't even try. It was like she used magic. She claimed to be even stronger than you Master. We thought you should see her for yourself."

Neros slowly turned to the white dragoness who was getting to her feet. He noticed her broken limb and curled his lip in disgust. Crona felt his eyes on her and looked up to have her jaw fall open. Neros looked almost identical to Certo with the only difference being his coloration and the savage-looking, ruby-colored eyes.

"They really are twins," She thought to herself.

"You?" Neros took a step towards Crona who stood her ground, trying not to appear intimidated by him. "You think you're stronger than I am?"

Crona didn't answer. If she said the wrong thing there would be no way she could ever talk her way through to Neros.

"Well, answer me!" Neros suddenly lashed out at Crona. The dragoness ducked on reflex and moved out of the way. Neros hissed and slashed with his tail blade, aiming for Crona's throat. Once again, Crona ducked and turned to flee. "You're not going anywhere," Neros growled. Crona beat her wings as she struggled to get airborne.

"If I can just make it to the trees," she thought to herself. A sudden roar and a gust of wind hit her like an hammer from behind. Crona was sent tumbling head over heels and slammed into a tree trunk. The blow dazed her and her vision blurred. The next thing she realized, a heavy paw struck her in the side of the neck and pinned her to the tree. The dragoness gasped as the pressure threatened to cut off her air supply. Neros's warm, blood-stained tail blade arched around and pressed against her stomach, just above her pelvic bone. Crona froze and opened her eyes to see Neros's fearsome eyes staring into hers.

"You didn't answer me," He hissed menacingly, the wind howling in response to his hostility. "Do you think you're stronger than me?"

Crona's heart rate began to race out of control. Her breathing was coming in short rapid breaths as she frantically tried to think of an answer.

"Well?" Neros pressed his blade to her stomach more causing Crona to scream.

"I did it to get to you!" She cried, her muscles tensing in fear. Not even Certo on his worse day was as terrifying as Neros was now.

"Oh." Neros tilted his head to the side. "I suppose then that you did a good job. Because I don't like being looked down upon! So now you may pay for your impudence!" His tail blade reared back for the killing blow and Crona's eyes widened.

"I know your brother!" She shouted. Neros paused and stared hard into her eyes.

"Ah so you're a friend of Certo's, huh? He's got good taste. You're cute but you're still a filthy dragon! But at least you've saved me the trouble of having to hunt you down myself." He prepared to strike again and Crona felt her heart nearly stop.

"I can help you!"

Once again, Neros stopped. "You? Help me? You can't even match up to me. What makes you think that I would find you to be of any use?"

"Because I know how you feel," Crona gasped, feeling the pressure on her neck increase. "Certo's told me about your struggles growing up. I know what it's like. What it's like to be different from everyone around you. To feel inferior to everyone else because of what you are."

"I have never felt inferior!" Neros snapped, putting his blade to her stomach again. Crona squeezed her eyes shut as frightened tears began to trickle down her cheeks. "I have never felt inferior to anyone! Just brushed off like a spot of dirt on one's scales! Ignored and shunned because of some birth defects! I've felt alone all my life but I've never felt inferior to anyone or anything! So if that's what Certo has told you then you are just as foolish as he is!"

"He cares about you still!" Crona protested. "He still loves you as a brother!"

Neros only laughed. "You know, for a pretty face you sure don't put up a very good argument. Certo may have cared a long time ago but that all changed when he decided to abandon me as did the rest of my so-called family."

"He didn't abandon you!" Crona sobbed. "He said he was held back. He was stopped from seeing you."

"That's no excuse, and Certo knows it!" Neros hissed, spitting on Crona's cheek. "I've overcome every obstacle ever thrown in my way without complaint! So to hear that Certo did not even try and make an attempt to get away from the cave is just as sorry an excuse as saying he tried!"

"Neros, listen to me." Crona pleaded. "I know what it's like to feel like you've been abandoned. I lost my mother when I was just a hatchling and my best friend was murdered by these apes right before my very eyes. My father is permanently crippled because of them. I've been where you are! I know what it's like!"

"You can't possibly understand what it's like to fend for yourself when no one else will lift a claw to help you survive!" Neros began to dig his claws into her soft neck causing her to cough and choke harder.

"I do! I've been on my own for a long time! I've been able to take care of myself! We're not as different as you think."

Neros laughed in her face. "You are so full of it! You know nothing about me beyond what that poor excuse of a brother of mine has said!"

"I know that's all I'm going off of, but I honestly feel like I understand where you're coming from," Crona wheezed, trying to slide her belly away from the quivering blade. "But where you're going is not the answer!"

"We dragons are a stain on existence itself!" Neros shouted, pressing his blade closer to her again. "We're so arrogant in our thinking and in our every day life that nothing matters to anyone except self-gain! Not even something as important as family means anything to anyone! So I'm going to do the world a favor and purge it of us dragons!"

"Even you?" Crona gasped, staring at him in wide-eyed shock.

Neros nodded. "I intend to live as long as dragons continue to exist."

"You're... like Malefor..." Crona shook her head in disbelief.

Neros raised a brow. "Who?"

Crona realized that she had spoken out loud, but the albino black dragon had recoiled his rage for just a moment, giving her the chance she needed to get through to him.

With a deep sigh, Crona turned slightly to look Neros in the eyes. "Neros, I'm not like other dragons."

The albino gave her a disgusted look. Did she think he was that stupid?

Crona seemed to sense his displeasure at her statement. "I mean I'm not from this time. I come from the future."

"The future?" Neros's brows jumped. He had expected her to say just about anything to get free from his wrath; but this was far from what he had expected.

"Yes," Crona nodded. "This time here is over a thousand years ago from my time period."

"Sister, I don't know what they feed you at your home, but that is ridiculous."

"I'm being serious, Neros." Crona's tone suddenly went dark as she stared him in the eyes. "I'm a chronicler dragon. Meaning I have the ability to control time and space."

"Oh yeah?" Neros glared at her. "Prove it."

Crona's eyes began to glow as she halted time. She concentrated on Neros and he looked around curiously. The world was shrouded in a deep violet hue. The ape that had brought Crona to him stood motionless like a frozen statue.

"Wh-what did you do?" Neros gasped, releasing Crona from his pin. The moment he broke contact he became frozen in time. Crona took the chance to regain her breath before releasing her grip on time. Neros and the ape jolted as if they had just blinked themselves out of a deep sleep. The albino dragon looked at Crona with wide eyes and gaping jaw.

"You see?" Crona smiled softly. "That was my ability to control time."

"I see," Neros gasped as he looked around to see things were normal again. "And you can obviously travel through time as well."

Crona's cheeks flushed slightly as she stared at the ground. "Well, that was really just by accident. I'm still not certain how I did it though."

"And who is this Malefor you mentioned?" Neros asked glancing over his shoulder at her.

Crona curled her lip slightly. "Malefor was a dragon in my time that brought about the end of the world."

"What?" Neros's eyes widened in shock.

"Malefor was a purple dragon who possessed the power of all four main elements of our world. And he too controlled the power of convexity." She thrust her snout towards Neros.

"What's convexity?" He asked narrowing his eyes at her.

"That power you used against your brother. It's a void energy that counteracts the elements of this world. Malefor used it to cause destruction everywhere his forces went and eventually managed to summon a monster capable of destroying the world itself!"

"Yet here you are today," Neros growled. "How can it be that the world ended and you're still here to talk about it. Unless you used your time travel ability to escape death."

Crona shook her head. "The world almost did end. But thanks to another purple dragon and a black dragoness, they were able to bring the world back together after it broke apart."

"Hmm," Neros thought and scratched his chin. "So you say this purple dragon and black dragoness were the only two who prevented the world from being completely obliterated?" Crona nodded. "And there were no other dragons to stand up to this Malefor?"

"No. Purple dragons are said to be stronger and more powerful than any other dragon in existence."

"That's all I need to know." Neros smiled. He turned to the ape as an evil grin spread across his mouth. "Go back to the others. Tell them be prepared to move out when I return."

As the ape nodded and disappeared into the darkness of the forest, Crona stared at Neros. "What are you planning?"

The albino dragon turned to her, the wicked smile growing larger by the second. "I'm planning on traveling forward in time with you."

"What? No!" I... I can't!" Crona gasped, suddenly feeling the cold grip of panic grasp her heart. "It was just by accident that I came back to this time period."

"But that doesn't matter," Neros said turning to her with a wild excitement in his eyes. "The point is, is that you can travel through time. With the proper help and motivation you can travel back to your own time. And when you do, I can meet this Malefor in person and help him rid the world of dragons for good."

"What?" Crona's heart skipped a beat and she felt a chill run up her spine.

"I already told you, dragons need to be wiped from existence. No amount of time will ever change us, no matter how hard some of you try. Certo was one against many but none of them changed and eventually he succumbed to their ways." Neros walked up to Crona and brought his snout up to hers. "And I'm sure Certo has told you about how persistent I am when coming to a decision and sticking with it."

"No," Crona gasped. "I won't help you! Never!"

"You will help me!" Neros snarled, striking her in the chest and pinning her back to the tree. "You don't have a choice! It's either help me get to the future and see your father again, or stay here and die."

"I'd rather die!" Crona spat in Neros's eye.

The albino only laughed. "I know you don't mean that." He blinked, trying to get the saliva out. "I can see it in your eyes. You've wanted to go home the moment you found out what happened here."

"Wh-what are you talking about?" Crona wheezed trying to compose herself.

"It's written all over your face," Neros replied. "You've been struggling alright. Struggling with the fact that you're thousands of years away from home with no way back."

"Get off of me!"

"You're not leaving my sight," Neros fumed, knocking her head against the tree trunk. Crona saw stars as she felt Neros's paw against her throat again.

"Certo, help me!" She screamed in her mind.

A sudden roar rumbled across the treetops and and across the meadows. Neros turned his head with a smile on his face.

"So he followed after you, did he?" He released Crona who fell to the ground, gasping for breath.

"Neros!" Certo suddenly shot over the forest canopy and lunged for his brother. Neros took the full force of the blow as he and Certo rolled over one another, snarling, biting and slashing with their claws. Crona watched as the two kicked up chunks of dirt and grass, growling like wild animals.

Certo finally managed to grab Neros by the back of his neck and wrenched him off. The albino was flung against a tree trunk and crumbled to the ground. Certo lunged for him, somersaulting to slash with his tail blade. Neros jerked his head to the side as his brother's blade missed his head by an inch. Certo thrust his forehead into his brother's, stunning the pale-white dragon for a brief moment. Certo wrenched his tail blade free from the bark and whipped around to take off his brother's head. At the last second, Neros ducked as the deadly spearhead grazed his ivory horns. Certo snarled angrily and slammed his twin's face into a root of the tree.

Certo reared his head back and took in a deep breath. Neros's eyes widened as he sensed the sudden disturbance in the wind. He rolled out of the way as the sound of thunder erupted from Certo's lungs. The ground exploded and the trees burst into a pile of splinters with an ear-piercing crack. Certo turned away from the crater, his bad eye burning bright with crimson energy. Neros's eyes grew wide when he saw the blazing aura in his brother's eye. Certo thrust his head forward and another sonic blast threatened to envelope Neros. The albino ducked low to the ground and thrust his wings in front of him, creating a sound-canceler. Certo increased the pitch in his voice. Neros withstood the shrill noise before he felt his bones begin to rattle.

At last he could take no more of the noise and threw himself out of the way. The blast ripped through the ground like blades through paper. Neros looked back at his brother with fear in his eyes as Certo lurked towards him

Neros glanced over at Crona who was getting to her feet then back at his brother. "I'll be back," He snarled before glancing at Crona again. "Soon."

"Oh no you won't!" Certo growled and lunged for Neros's throat. The albino roared back and suddenly a burst of convexity engulfed Certo. The black dragon screamed as the energy sent his rag-doll flying into the meadow.

"Certo!" Crona screamed. She hobbled out to him, ignoring the aching pain in her left leg. Much to her relief, Certo got to his feet. "Thank the ancestors," she breathed. She glanced over her shoulder to see Neros had disappeared into the darkness of the forest. The sun was beginning to set over the horizon, making any search almost impossible in the oncoming darkness.

Certain that they were safe for the time being, Crona turned back to Certo. "Are you alright? That was..."

The black dragon whirled on her in a flash. "What in the world do you think you're doing, Crona!" His voice rising to a threatening level.

"What do you mean?" Crona jerked her head back and glared at him defensively.

"Don't play dumb with me!" Certo growled, the wind rustling the trees as he did. "You went looking for Neros without me! You looked for him when I specifically told you not to! I told you talking to him would not do you any good and you didn't listen to me! You didn't trust me like you said you did!"

"I had to give it a try Certo!" Crona shot back. "You never know unless..."

"Alright then! Did you talk to him?" Certo stepped back, giving the dragoness some space to breathe. "Answer me that."

Crona's mouth fell open and she hung her head in shame. "I... I did."

"And did it resolve the issue?"

Crona was silent for another minute. "No."

"You see! This is exactly what I said would happen. And knowing you, you probably made the situation worse! How could you be so careless!? You could have been killed!"

"I didn't intend for it to be like this, Certo!" Crona snapped.

"My black tail you didn't!" Certo snarled menacingly. He was furious beyond anything Crona had witnessed before. "I know it was you who let the apes out of their cell. I know it was you who got them to take you to Neros. The ape that we found said you had unlocked the door for them." Crona felt her limbs freeze up at that and Certo noticed the terrified look in her eyes. "You don't have to worry, the guards don't suspect you anyways. The keys were still on the guard when we found him. They believe that the apes smashed the gate when they attempted their escape. Personally I'd like to keep it that way but still, I know you're the only dragoness who can pull something like this off!"

Crona sighed slightly, remembering the guards that had been watching over her. She had endangered their lives; and for what. To find out that Certo had been right the entire time. If they had been killed would their lives have been in vain should Neros have chosen to listen? It was an answer she would never know.

As she looked up at Certo she noticed blood trickling from the scar across his forehead that Neros had reopened in the scuffle. "Certo, you're bleeding!" She stepped forward but the black dragon weaved around her.

"Don't touch me!" He spat. "I'm really pissed at you right now! I trusted you!"

"Certo, I didn't mean to..."

"There's a lot of things we don't mean to do Crona! But look what happens when we don't think about it!" He shook his head, trying to shake the rage from his mind. "I can't believe for someone so smart you could be so stupid!"

Crona's maw fell open as she stared at Certo in the fading sunlight. The black dragon's eye was glowing like a lantern in the late afternoon sun. He stared at her for a long, hard moment before turning back towards home. "Hurry up!" He snarled and took to the air, ignoring the pain in his body.

The white dragoness was dumbstruck. She wanted desperately to go over and teach the black dragon a lesson he would never forget about speaking to her in such a manner. However she could not bring herself to utter so much as a word in his presence any more. All she could do was spread her wings and follow him home.


	23. Chapter 23

"There you are, my dear." Thundra sighed as she used her sharp talons to cut away the cast from Crona's broken leg. "The bones should have healed enough to set themselves straight by now, but I want you to rest as much as possible until it's fully healed."

"How long until that happens?" Crona asked as she rotated her foreleg, flexing her talons.

"Give or take a week, possibly more. It really all depends on you," Thundra answered, giving the dragoness a warm nuzzle.

"I'll keep that in mind." Crona smiled with a bow. "Thank you."

Thundra only shook her head. "Don't thank me. Thank Certo. If it weren't for him you wouldn't be with us right now."

Crona looked down at the floor. It had been days since Certo had rescued her from Neros. Yet the black dragon had refused to say anything to her since. He had avoided her whenever possible, had slept outside away from her and ignored every word she spoke to him. He would not even so much as look at her.

"Is something wrong, Crona?" Thundra asked, looking sidelong at the young dragoness. "You look like you have something on your mind."

"No," Crona replied after a moment. "Not really. Just..." Her thoughts drifted back to the fight between Certo and Neros. The two had been so savage towards one another, she could hardly believe they had been bonded brothers at one point. And the way Certo had looked at her after Neros had escaped had filled her with fear, sorrow, guilt, and anger all at once. "Thundra..."

"What is it dearie?"

Crona looked up at her. Her eyes were wet with tears. She wanted to cry but it was not something she could show to the lightning dragoness; she would have to hold them back for now. "I think I've made a mistake. And not just a little one that can be fixed overnight or a couple days. I'm talking about one that may have destroyed a friendship."

"You mean you and Certo?" Thundra asked and looked inquisitively at Crona. The young dragoness nodded. "Would you be willing to talk about what happened?"

Crona sighed and took in a deep breath. She spent the next hour explaining what had happened between her and the black dragon. She had meant well by trying to prove something to Certo but in the process had betrayed his trust and possibly broken the already delicate bonds of their friendship for good. When she was done, Thundra shook her head in disapproval.

"Crona, I don't know if you realize how dangerous it was for you to go out on your own, looking for this brother of Certo's. If you had been more injured or worse, killed, do you know how bad that would have made Certo feel? And the rest of us for that matter? Certo went through a lot to save your life, and what you did was practically throwing it away just to prove a point. So I can understand why Certo was mad to begin with."

"I know! But what can I do to fix this?" Crona's voice cracked slightly but she faced the lightning dragoness none the less.

Thundra sighed sadly. "I'm not sure my dear. Certo's a sensitive soul. He has no family except for this brother you say is trying to kill him. The only ones he has are us. His friends."

"And even we aren't really considered remotely precious to him." Crona pointed out.

"I would be inclined to agree." Terra said as she and Amp ducked under the curtain to the guest room. She and Amp had been listening in for only a little while after just having gotten back from the council chambers. The ice dragoness looked at Crona. "You remember the argument we had just before he destroyed the school remember? He doesn't want to be around any of us."

"Terra, you stop that talk this instant!" Thundra hissed, lightning crackling between her jaws. Her daughter jerked back in surprise and huddled close to Amp. Thundra glanced between her daughter and Crona with a look of scorn on her face. "Both of you should be ashamed of yourselves for saying such things. Now I don't know what Certo's mindset is like to the fullest extent I can, but I do know that if he didn't care about any of you in the first place, he would have left our home a long time ago," she narrowed her eyes at Terra and Amp, should they try and come back with a rebuttal. "And I know for a fact he would not have gone through such pains to save your life, Crona."

"Then why doesn't he show it?" Terra demanded.

"Because he's afraid," Crona replied, thinking back to when she had chased after Certo. "He's afraid to care for anyone because he has this stupid notion that anyone he cares for is going to die."

"Stupid or not," Thundra hissed. "If you're really his friends. If you truly care for him yourselves, then you need to fix this problem on your own."

"But how?" Crona protested. "He won't even speak to me!"

Thundra got up and walked towards the curtain. "Crona, I know we've only known each other for a few months and we've never really had much time to connect. But what I have learned about you is, that like Certo, you have had a rough childhood as well. I don't know the details. But I can see it in your eyes and the way you view the world around you. If anyone knows Certo around here, it's you. Therefore, I think you know what you have to do."

Crona watched as Thundra disappeared behind the curtain, and listened as her footsteps faded down the hall.

"So what do you plan to do?" Amp asked curiously, taking a seat between the two girls.

"I don't know." Crona shook her head. "I can't even get Certo to look at me. I'm afraid that he'll run away again if I push too hard when trying to talk to him."

"Then let one of us talk to him," Terra suggested. "He's not mad at us. He can't just ignore us for no reason."

"Actually, yes he can." Amp interrupted. "In case you've forgotten, it's Certo we're talking about here. He can ignore a thunder storm if he wanted to."

"That's exactly my point." Crona stamped the floor with her good paw. "He's so damned stubborn! He won't listen to reason!"

"You can be the same way too Crona." Amp pointed out.

"What?" Crona jerked her head back as if she had been hit. "I am not!"

Amp only rolled his eyes. "You two wait here. I'm going to go see if I can find him and talk to him."

"Amp, maybe we should go with you," Terra suggested. "I think that if Certo is not willing to listen to Crona, he may listen to the two of us together. And maybe, if we get through to him, Crona can be close by to step in when the time is right."

"I don't think that will help very much," Amp replied hesitantly. "I think I should be the one to talk to Certo, one on one."

"But Amp..."

"Terra!" Amp barked, causing his mate to jump. "Please. Just let me talk to him. Alone." Terra was dumbstruck. Amp had never talked to her in such a way, let alone raise his voice towards her. Amp could see she was very unsure of how to take it so he turned and left the two girls by themselves.

As the young guardian took off from the balcony, Terra shook her head in disbelief.

"Don't get upset," Crona said quietly, noticing her reaction. "He's growing up you know. I think it's actually good for you two."

Terra stared at Crona for a long moment. The white dragoness seemed to be almost glowing in the midday sun that seeped into the guest room.

"Maybe we're all doing a little growing up," Terra muttered.

A faint smile tugged at Crona's cheeks. "Yes, I suppose we are."

Amp flew over the city at a quickened pace. His first stop was Master Kia's home where he figured Certo may be taking shelter at.

"I'm sorry Amp, but he hasn't been around since this morning." Kia shook her head.

"Any idea where he might have gone?" Amp asked.

Kia could only shrug. "I'm sorry Ampus. I haven't got a clue. You know how Certo is sometimes. For a little while I was thinking he had changed, seeing that he was talking regularly with Crona. But as of the last few days, they haven't talked to one another."

"So I've been told." Amp bobbed his head. "We're trying to resolve the issue but you know, it's hard when the one you're trying to find isn't around."

Kia gave a moderate chuckle. "I wish I could be more help."

"Don't worry," Amp waved a dismissive paw. "We'll figure this out somehow."

"Good luck." Kia bowed slightly, giving the lightning dragon his leave. As she watched him fly away she added, "You're going to need it."

As Amp continued to fly over the city he began to ponder about all the possible places Certo could be at. The academy grounds were alive with earth dragons moving the last of the rubble. The gardens were empty as well. The lightning guardian expanded his search to the areas of forest beyond the city where he thought Certo may be hiding out. As he reached the Silver River, he began to fly low towards the trees glancing around quickly, searching for his friend. After several hours of searching, Amp was astonished to not find the black dragon in any of the areas he had originally expected. The lightning guardian sighed as he came to rest on the banks of the river for a drink.

"My ancestors," he gasped as he drank greedily. "How hard can it be to find one dragon?" There had not been so much as a trace of the black dragon anywhere. Amp began to think that the black dragon was far more upset with Crona than originally expected. "He must really not want to be found," He muttered to himself.

The young dragon looked up at the sky as the sun began to set in the distance. He wished Terra were there to enjoy the sight with him.

Just then he heard a rustling in the bushes to his right. The young dragon jumped and turned with his wings spread wide. All of a sudden, Certo's head popped up out of the underbrush.

"Certo?" Amp's brows jumped as the black dragon looked around.

"Amp, get over here!" He hissed, thrusting his head back over his shoulder.

"What? Why? What's going..."

"Now!" Certo growled fiercely, striking a note of fear in Amp's heart. The younger dragon slunk over to the black dragon; a serious look embedded in his eyes.

"Certo, what's going on?" Amp asked meekly.

Certo hissed for him to be quiet. "Stay quiet, stay low and stay close." He ordered. He crouched down to the ground and began stalking through the underbrush, keeping his wings tucked close to his body. Amp followed his example and did what he was told, despite his disturbed state.

The two dragons crept through the underbrush for a couple hundred yards. Amp began to grow impatient. Certo seemed to sense the young dragon's anxiety and glared back over his shoulder.

"Not a word," he whispered.

Amp bobbed his head slightly and Certo continued to lead him deeper into the forest. It was not much longer when Certo came to a stop. Amp paused and looked around. There was nothing special about this place that he could outright see. He was about to stand up when Certo's tail wrapped around his neck and yanked him back to the ground. Amp was about to snap at the black dragon when he looked past him into the fields beyond the bushes. The young dragon's jaw dropped.

Beyond the cover of their hiding spot was a camp, filled with dozens, possibly even over a hundred apes; all hooting and snapping at one another if one did something another did not like. Most of the barbarians sat beside their animal-pelt tents and chipped away at bones with rocks, chiseling them into sharp, jagged blades. Other apes were busy around some of the camp fires, using pelts from dead animals to form straps for their armor, which consisted of bones weaved together, skulls and even wood carved from nearby fallen trees.

Amp felt his heart rate quicken as a patrol walked past their hiding spot. The two baboons paused a few inches from where the two dragons were hiding and sniffed the air. Certo's tail blade lifted off the ground, ready to strike in case they were found out.

"It stinks like dragon," one growled.

"I agree," the other muttered. "It's probably because we're so close to the city. The scent of those beasts really carries far."

The first ape growled. "I just can't wait to find my first kill. That will be one less dragon left to stink up this world." His comrade laughed.

"I'd be willing to wager I kill one before you." The other ape glared at him.

"Hatchlings don't count."

"I wasn't referring to you," he sneered. The two apes laughed and continued on their patrol, leaving Amp to shake like a leaf in the wind. It was then he noticed the wind blowing in the trees overhead but he could not feel the breeze against his body.

"Certo," Amp whispered, moving closer to his friend. "The wind. I can't feel it."

"Good," Certo murmured. "I'm trying to hide us. Neros can sense movement in the wind. I'm trying to keep us hidden from him so he doesn't find we're here."

"Oh," Amp bobbed his head slightly and fell silent again. Certo began to creep backwards, ushering Amp to lead the retreat. The young dragon did not argue and slipped through the underbrush with Certo following close behind.

When they began to hear the rush of the river, Amp quickened his pace. As soon as they got to the beach, Amp nearly passed out on the bank.

"What was all that Certo?" The young guardian was still trembling.

"Looks like Neros has his little baboon buddies getting ready for an attack." He was looking back over his shoulder but soon turned to face the yellow dragon. "And from the looks of it, it may be soon."

"W-what do we do?" Amp asked, sitting up, trying to stand as confidently as possible.

"What do you mean?" Certo snapped. "You have to tell the other guardians."

"M-me? Why... Why me?" Amp stammered. His heart was pounding against his chest.

"Think about it!" Certo snapped. "Would any of the other guardians listen to me? All the guardians hate me with the exception of you and Master Kia! And that fool of a fire guardian seems to carry the most weight with his words with you bunch, and none of you are willing to step in and put him in his place!"

"What do you want us to do?" Amp protested. "He's the elder guardian! We can't say anything to him! It'd be disrespectful!"

"Do you think Crona thought about that at all when she was trying to defend me in there?" Certo whirled on the young dragon, bringing his snout up to Amp's. "She threw your guardian's crap right back in their faces because she..." Certo's voice trailed off as his thoughts reflected to the white dragoness. She had stood up for him after the destruction of the dragon academy and the initial attack on the city. And it had all been before she knew the truth about him.

"Because she what?" Amp demanded. He saw what was running through the black dragon's mind. This was his chance to help push things in the right direction for his two quarreling friends.

"Nothing. It's not important." Certo shook his head.

"Isn't it?" Amp snapped back, stepping up to his friend to look him in the eye. "Crona's really hurting right now because of how you're treating her!"

"Well maybe she should have thought of that before she went behind my back and betrayed my trust!"

"She didn't betray you! She was captured! How is that betraying you!"

Certo paused. She had not told them the real side of the story, obviously. Only he knew about the true extent of her powers, but even then he did not know what her abilities were to their entirety. "Never mind," Certo growled, turning back towards the river. "We'd better move out. It's getting dark."

"Dark," Amp whispered to himself. The word seemed to jog an idea into his mind. "That's it!" He exclaimed. "The night watch! We can tell them! They would listen!"

Certo thought about that for a moment before a slight smile tugged at his cheek. "You know, Amp. I like your thinking."

"Awww shucks," Amp chuckled, pretending to be embarrassed.

"But we have to hurry. So let's move!"

"Right behind you!" Amp nodded and followed as Certo took flight. The two beat their wings hard, gaining as much ground as they possibly could. The night was fully upon them by the time they reached the city. The night torches were lit and the two could see the shadows of the night watch as they began their patrol.

"Amp, you go get Master Kia and have her meet me at the library," Certo ordered. "I'm going to go look for Cytros and get him to meet us there."

"Understood!" Amp saluted with a paw before banking hard towards the residential pavilions.

Certo dove towards the streets, searching for the nearest guard patrol. At last he spotted a trio of armored males pacing about the streets, all looking rather weary. The sound of flapping wings turned their attention skyward as Certo dropped from the night sky before them. The guards all jumped in surprise and nearly ran into one another.

"Oh, Certo. It's you." An ice dragon named Glaze breathed a sigh of relief. "You gave us a fright there."

Certo was glad to see it was not a hostile welcome but he was not here for formalities. "If you think that gave you a fright then you're going to be terrorized beyond all measure when you find out what's about to happen."

The guards looked at the black dragon inquisitively. "What's going on?"

"Amp, I said to get Kia!" Certo fumed inside the library. The lightning dragon had returned with Master Kia, but not only that he had with him Nitrus, Crona and Terra. "I don't want them here!"

"Certo, calm down," Verona coaxed, standing beside the black dragon. "They're here for the same business as you are. To help protect this city."

Certo glared at Crona and Nitrus. The ice guardian returned the harsh stare, but Crona only looked at Certo with a sort of pleading look in her eyes.

"Certo, if this really is an emergency I suggest we get down to business." Cytros interrupted.

"Fine," Certo snorted, turning away from Crona. "There's going to be another attack on the city." The dragons all gasped and glanced at one another, skeptical and frightened at the same time. They remembered the events of the first attack; the memory did not sit well with them.

Stratus stepped forward, lowering his head towards Certo. "Young dragon, are you absolutely certain about this? This is quite a big claim you bring."

"I saw it myself." Amp nodded and stepped forward. "Certo came across some sort of ape camp, just beyond the silver river. They're getting ready alright, and I don't know how much time we have."

"How many did you count?" Crona asked, addressing Certo but the black dragon ignored her.

"I didn't get a clear look at exactly how many there were," He replied to Cytros. "I can say that there may be close to a hundred."

"A hundred?" Verona gasped, placing her hand on her chest. Her breathing was beginning to quicken as her lungs began to hyper ventilate. The idea of there being that many vicious enemies attacking at once was too much for her to handle. All at once, her eyes rolled back and she collapsed to the floor.

"Verona!" Cytros and Stratus cried, rushing to her side. The chief librarian looked up at the captain who was beginning to fan her with his wing.

"I've got her," Stratus assured him. The fire breather nodded and turned back to Certo.

"Captain," Kia spoke up, stepping forward. "About how many dragons do you have on patrol each night?"

"Approximately fifty ma'am." Cytros answered, glancing outside the main entrance. "Though I may have to increase the number of guards I take in."

"That may be a wise choice." Nitrus bobbed his head. "And how many patrol during the day?"

"Less than a dozen."

"That seems logical." Nitrus nodded, scratching his cheek with a claw.

"It seems logical but it's not," Crona said. Every head turned to look at her. "The apes may not be much in terms of strength and power. But what they lack in those areas they more than make up for in numbers and tenacity." She looked over at Certo who was glancing at her out of the corner of his eye. "If you look at Certo, you can see just by looking at him how merciless the apes can be." The dragons all eyed Certo's scarred body, making him rather uncomfortable. "I can easily take on a patrol myself. But when working together, a hundred apes could easily overrun a city of this size, especially since it seems like not many dragons around here know how to fight."

"We were all trained in the ancient ways Crona." Nitrus started but the dragon stepped in front of him.

"But that's exactly it! You all know only what you've learned inside your city! You know nothing about what it's like to live on the outside! You know nothing about what it means to survive, as in kill or be killed!"

"The young dragoness has a point," Stratus said, turning his attention away from his fainted granddaughter. "However, we cannot simply turn away from our upbringing just like that."

Nitrus nodded in agreement. "We will have to use what we learn and fight to he best of our ability."

"But you have to go against all your stuck-up thinking in order to do that," Crona pointed out, a slight growl in her voice. "You have to think nothing of your enemy in order to finish on top, otherwise you're surely going to get killed."

"Are you suggesting we fight like savages?" Cytros asked, raising a skeptical brow. He glanced at Certo with an apologetic smile. "No offense."

"I've heard worse," he muttered. "But Crona isn't suggesting fight like so-called savages. She's saying fight smart. Keep your enemy's goal in mind and use that to your advantage for his inevitable downfall." Certo glanced at Amp and Terra. "Remember the sparring match between me and Titanus. Remember how nuts he went and how I went out of my way to avoid his strikes by finding his weakness."

"Which was..." Amp squinted questioningly at his friend.

"His size. Too big, not enough mobility. I'm smaller and more flexible than he is. I exploited his weakness to gain an upper hand."

"So what's the apes' weakness?" Kia asked.

"Psychologically?" Crona stepped in, thankful that Certo had at least spoken in response to her argument. "Power is their greatest weakness. They are greedy by nature and want more all the time. As far as physical weakness... guess."

A long silence passed between the dragons.

"A hundred is quite a lot of enemies to face," Captain Cytros spoke first. "We need a more accurate account of how many they have. That way we can better prepare our forces."

"If it's scouting you need done, then I'm the one for the job," Certo said. "I know where they are and how to get close enough."

"I'm going with you." Crona stepped forward.

"Like hell you are." Certo growled. "You're staying right here."

"No way Certo, I'm not letting you put your life in danger without some back-up. If you get into trouble I'm going to be there to have your back."

"I don't need your help!" Certo snarled. "But the city does! You need to stay here with Captain Cytros and help him plan on how to defend the city. You're apparently the leading expert on dealing with apes, so your decision is overruled."

"I hate to admit it," Terra mumbled. "But Certo does have a point."

"Terra!" Crona gasped, staring at her hard. The gray dragoness shrank back slightly, feeling somewhat guilty about speaking up.

"Terra's right." Nitrus agreed. "You are the leading expert here. And we're putting our fate in your hands." The ice guardian bowed his upper body causing Crona's jaw to drop. This was unlike Nitrus and the white dragoness felt at a loss for words. The guardian looked up at her with a fierce determination in his eyes. "Please. For my daughters sake."

"Dad..." Terra looked from her father to Crona who seemed still hesitant.

"She'll do it." Every head turned to see a figure step out of the shadows.

Now it was Crona's turn to have her mouth fall open. "Sin?"

"Master oracle!" Stratus and the other dragons immediately dropped in a deep bow except for Crona and Certo who stared at him blankly. The white dragon smiled at Certo. He turned his white eyes to Crona who took the hint, and paused time.

"What's going on, Sin?" She asked wearily.

"Nothing you don't already know," the oracle replied. "The war will continue throughout the thousand years as planned. But right now you have a more pressing concern."

Crona shook her head and furrowed her brows. "What could be more important than fighting the apes right now and making sure dragon-kind survives the next thousand plus years?"

Sin turned his head and Crona followed his stare. Her eyes widened and she snapped her attention back to the oracle. "Certo?"

"Yes. I'm sure you've noticed that he displays... a certain fire within him. We need him to master that power so it may be passed along to a future fire guardian."

"A future fire guardian?" Crona thought aloud. "Ignitus?"

Sin shook his head. "No. His successor. He will learn it before he becomes guardian and will ultimately use it to help bring peace after the Dark Master's reign."

"But how am I supposed to know what this power is? Or how it works? Or how Certo should learn it?"

Sin only laughed. "Crona, you're a knowledge-seeker. Do what you do best. Watch. Observe. And take notes. Just like you always have done. But for now we have a slight situation that requires our attention."

"But what am I supposed to do about Certo?" Crona asked frantically. "This is the most he's talked to me in days!"

"I know, but that will pass. But for now I suggest you let him go do what he needs to."

"But..."

"Otherwise he'll never learn about the power he has inside him."

Crona sighed and looked sadly at Certo. The way he stared sternly into space hurt her. It was like there was no end to the mystery that surrounded him, no matter how hard she tried to understand.

With a wave of her paw, time resumed its course. The other dragons rose to their feet and Certo blinked having seen Sin's head jerk suddenly, and stared at Crona. He felt his blood begin to boil again, knowing full well that she was up to something.

"Go on, Certo," Crona murmured, much to his surprise. "I trust you know what you're doing." The black dragon eyed her keenly, trying to read her expression to see if there was some sort of underlying motive in her decision. She looked like she was extremely tired and couldn't care less about what anyone thought of her.

"It will be risky going alone, Certo," Cytros warned. "I will have one of my guards escort you and provide assistance if needed.

Certo thought about it for a long moment. "I would prefer to work alone. If anyone else comes with me then they're likely to get hurt or worse."

"We understand, young dragon," Stratus replied, "But I'm sure we would all feel better about you going with someone rather than alone as you seem to prefer."

The black dragon shook his head. "Not this time. Please. I can't have anyone else hurt by being around me any more."

The librarian and captain sighed. Certo was being stubborn again; a trait they had admired at first but were now beginning to see its annoying traits.

"Well then you will have an escort at least," Cytros stated. "I can respect your wishes but if you were my son, I would not have you out and alone in the dark."

Certo grumbled to himself. "Alright..."

"Very good then." Stratus nodded. "Captain, have one of your guards escort Certo to the enemy's camp and scout out the situation. The rest of us will begin working on a plan to fortify our city in the face of this impending attack."

Crona watched sadly as Certo left the library escorted by an armored lightning dragon. When they had disappeared into the darkness outside and their wing beats had faded away, Sin walked over and gave her a comforting nudge. "All will be well as long as you keep your wits about you." Crona stared at the oracle for a long hard moment. Sin bobbed his head in response to her silent question. "Just be yourself and do as you always do. All will be well. You'll see."

"I hope so." Crona thought to herself before turning back to the group.

"So how far out beyond the Silver River is this camp?" The escort lightning dragon asked. His name was Radiance, a male barely Nitrus's age. He was proving to be quite the talker, always wanting to gain as much info from the situation as possible.

"It's not far," Certo replied dully. "As soon as we cross the river we'll run right into it."

"Ah, good." Radiance nodded.

"Not necessarily," Certo thought to himself. He could see the moonlight glistening off the surface of the river in the distance.

Down on the ground, Neros strolled about the apes' campground, inspecting his henchmens' equipment. The attack would be the following evening as soon as the sun set on the dragon city. When all the dragons would be settling down for the evening and their guard would be relaxed the most. From the reports he had heard from the apes who had survived the first strike a month ago, the dragons had been completely taken aback by the sudden attack. Neros had been surprised to hear such news, but was also delighted to think that his work would be that much easier with helpless adversaries.

"Master!" A hulking ape lumbered up to the albino dragon and bowed down on one knee. "We await your orders to move out. We are ready to do your bidding."

Neros only looked at the bone-armored barbarian and twitched his muzzle in deep thought.

"Gather the troops. I want to have a word with them."

"Uh, yes Master!" The ape jumped to his feet and hurried about gathering the troops and ushering them about the young dragon. The odorous apes mumbled and whispered to one another, not wanting to get too close to the black dragon, in fear of him losing his temper with them.

"Silence!" Neros barked, immediately getting what he asked for. "Good, I'm glad to see you're all listening. There's been a change in plans." The apes looked at one another curiously then back to the dragon. "As you know, there are well over one hundred of you here. However, only a small number of you will be taking part in the attack tomorrow night." This caused a murmur to spread throughout the apes. Neros waited patiently until they were quiet again before continuing. "The reason for this being is that we are not going on an extermination mission as originally planned."

"But are we not supposed to be ridding the world of dragons?" A smaller ape interrupted.

Neros' eyes locked on him and every head turned.

"Come here," Neros ordered. The ape realized what was about to happen and stepped forward, his body trembling in fear. Neros smirked when he saw the fear in the ape's eyes. He knew he had complete control over these savages. "Are you scared of me?" The ape stood trembling where he stood. "Answer me!" Neros snarled.

"Yes!" The ape squeaked and fell to his knees, unable to support his trembling form any longer.

The smile spread wider across Neros's face. "I'm glad to hear that. And because you understand that I'm going to be generous to you and let you live, with only a minor punishment."

"Master?" The ape's mouth fell open giving Neros the chance he was waiting for. He lashed out with his claws and the ape screamed as a chunk of his tongue hit the dirt. The baboon fell back as several of his comrades moved to help him. Blood spilled from the baboon's mouth, staining his fur and dripping onto the ground.

"As I was saying," Neros continued after the ape had been taken away. "The plan remains the same overall. We will rid this world of all dragons, and soon you will be the new rulers." The apes nodded and smiled; they loved the sound of that and the thought of being rulers of the world made their mouths water for the blood of the dragons. "But something has come to my attention. Two things actually. One! My brother, whom some of you may remember from the caves, is still alive!" The apes eyes grew wide and they looked nervously at one another. "I wanted him dead along with every other remnant of my family and past! And that was too much for you to handle! You know why I say that? Because he's still alive!" Neros stomped the ground and bolts of convexity sparked around his paw. The apes cowered closer to one another, fearing which of them would face the dragon's next dish of capital punishment.

Neros continued with his speech and began pacing in front of the apes, making them more and more jittery with every deliberate step. "He has been living with those filthy dragons in that place they call a city this entire time!" He fumed but then stopped to think out loud. "Though I'm surprised he hasn't tried to kill himself yet. But this also bring me to my next point. He has a friend. A white dragoness. A powerful dragoness who controls time itself. A dragoness from the future who brings news of dragon-kind's last stand. She has survived the war we intend to bring about and the end of the world from what she has spoken. And with her help, we'll be able to fix that little snag in our grand scheme."

"M-Master?" An ape raised a shaky hand. Neros turned his ruby eyes on him .

"Permission to speak," he nodded.

The ape seamed to relax at that and sat up straight. "How can we be sure this dragoness has the powers she claims?"

Neros nodded. It was a good question and one he had expected to encounter. "I have seen her powers in action. As have some of your brothers and clan-mates. She has the power. The only thing we have to worry about is getting her to use that power for our purposes."

"And what purpose would you have her serve Master?" The ape asked.

"I intend to travel to her time and rid the world of dragons for good!" Neros growled savagely.

"And what about the rest of us?" Another heavy-bodied ape spoke after raising a hand.

"You will receive the power you deserve. I made that promise and I intend to keep it. Just have faith and patience. I must do the same if I want to achieve my own goal here."

The apes nodded and mumbled to one another in satisfaction. Neros smiled, seeing his pawns' newly-inspired spirits. He felt a rush inside of him as well as he thought about the white dragoness he had encountered.

"Just remember, I want her alive." He growled as a reminder. "If anyone fails to comply with this order, then there will be no measure to the wrath you will face."

"We understand." The lead ape nodded and his compatriots bobbed their heads in agreement.

"Good," Neros smiled. He breathed a sigh of relieve, sending a gust of wind about the camp. It was then he sensed something in the wind. It took him a moment to think about what it might be, but then he smiled wickedly. "All of you, into your tents or hide! We have dragons coming our way."

The apes barked and hooted excitedly as the ran about, bumping into one another and scrambling for cover. Neros watched as they disappeared from view before slipping into the darkness of the forest himself.

High above, Certo and Radiance could see the glow of the campfires across from the river.

"Looks like quite the gathering." The guard muttered, feeling a bit jittery as they neared the camp.

"We'll find out for sure when we get there." Certo thought to himself. "I'm going ground-side," he called. "Stay out of their sight if any of them are awake still. Or better yet, go back."

Radiance didn't have a moment to protest because the black dragon dove towards the riverbank. Certo came in for a quick landing before ducking into the underbrush. He paused for several minutes to look about and sense if there was anything watching him. When nothing moved he began to creep forward again. As he slipped through the underbrush, he began to notice the dead silence of the forest. The rush of the river faded out behind him leaving only the faint sound of a breeze against the tree leaves over his head. Up ahead, he could see the glow of the camp fires. The light cast irregular shadows and patches of light about the trees, making it harder for Certo to remain hidden. The closer he crept, the more uneasy he began to feel.

"Where is everyone?" He thought to himself as he hunched down in the bushes to look out at the campfires.

Neros watched from the cover of darkness as Radiance soared over the campground and began circling the barren field where the apes had set up camp. His ruby eyes narrowed suspiciously. "Only one?" He pondered to himself. "I could have sworn I sensed..." He lowered his eyes to the forest beyond the field. After a moment he understood what was going on. "So you're here as well, Certo?" A smile spread across his muzzle. "Well you'd better watch closely."

The albino walked out from his cover, surprising several of the apes close by. They wished to speak but by now, knew better than to do so.

"What have we here?" Radiance coked his head curiously as he spotted the pale-white dragon emerge from the forest. "He looks just like Certo."

From his hiding spot on the ground, Certo looked around the campground. The tents blocked his view of Neros but he could feel the wind begin to blow through the trees.

"You're here after all," he growled to himself. A rustling noise came from above and Certo turned his eyes to the branches overhead. Black eyes stared down at him, the firelight glinting off the apes eyes. "Uh oh," Certo thought to himself. He felt his muscles tense, expecting the ape to lunge for him. Much to his surprise the creature remained still. Before Certo would question the barbarian's actions, a hammer struck him in the side of the head. The black dragon fell to the ground and didn't move.

The sudden sound of Neros's roar grabbed the apes attention. The black dragon spread his wings and beat them once. The wind shot him into the air, heading straight for Radiance. The guard snarled and slashed at the young dragon. Neros vaulted over the lightning dragon's head and stabbed his tail into his back. Radiance felt the blade ping off his armor and turned with a haughty smile.

"Good try young one. But you won't be able to beat me like that while I have my armor to protect me."

Neros glared at the guard. "Oh, that's too bad. It would save you from the torment I'm going to have to bring down on you right now." Before Radiance could speak another word, Neros roared. The lightning dragon's armor clattered loudly as the vibrations coursed through his body. He jerked his head out of the way as Neros lunged for him, hoping to gouge his eyes out.

"Impressive, I have to say." Radiance sneered. "But not good enough." Lightning crackled around his body as he fired a bolt at the young dragon. Neros flapped his wings hard, looping out of the way as the bolt shot into the distance. Radiance growled and fired another bolt, missing his target again. Neros smiled as he dodged again and again until the lightning dragon began to grow tired. "Cursed feral! Sit still!"

Neros laughed out loud as he began circling Radiance. "Oh, what's the matter? Can't keep up with me?" The wind began to spin into a whirlwind, and Radiance found himself struggling to keep the wind beneath his wings. "You know what your problem is?"

"That I'm holding back from frying you!" Radiance fired another volley of lightning bolts to hit nothing but air. Neros's laugh seemed to be coming from every direction as the wind speed picked up.

"Besides your arrogance, it's your speed." Neros scoffed. "That armor slows you down so much that you'll never be able to hit any enemy, no matter how powerful you are."

"I'll show you power, you filthy little feral!" Radiance curled into a ball for a split second before spreading his wings wide. His roar cut through the night air and the lightning burst from his body. Neros yelped in surprise and covered himself with his wings. Just as a bolt was about to claim his life, it deflected off a barrier of convexity. Radiance whirled around on the young dragon and fired one last supercharged lightning bolt. The energy bounced off the barrier and struck the ground below. The lightning dragon's mouth fell open in dismay. "Impossible! How... how did you..."

Neros lowered his wings as his body continued to generate convexity. The purple energy covered the night sky and Radiance felt his scales rattle with a sudden chill. Neros's ruby eyes began to glow deep purple. With a sudden snarl he shot forward like a missile, striking Radiance across the face. The lightning dragon's armored helmet shattered, the metal shards cutting into his soft facial scales. The black dragon banked back and plunged his tail blade into the yellow dragon's armor. Neros's mercury tail blade plunged into the gold shoulder plate. Radiance snapped at the albino but Neros yanked his tail free before slashing his opponent across the face. Radiance felt his own blood splatter across his snout and snarled in irritation.

"Damn you!"

Neros only laughed as he slashed the guard's face and cut into his neck with his tail blade. Radiance jolted from the sudden strike and began to cough hard, blood filling his throat almost instantly.

All of a sudden he felt a crushing force drop out of the sky and hit him from behind. The guard fell and hit the ground hard. An agonized roar filled the air as Radiance lay writhing in pain on the hard ground. Neros glided down to the field below and landed gracefully in front of the wounded guard.

Radiance's face and jaws were covered in his own blood. His wings were broken and the bones stuck out from under his skin, causing rivers of blood to trickle down his torn wing membranes. His tail was broken in two places as well as three of his legs.

"I wonder if it's going to be this easy to kill all of you dragons who think you're so high and mighty," Neros pondered aloud. "You seem to hold yourselves in high regard yet here you are, down in the dirt with the rest of the filth."

"You filthy feral! How dare you mock me and my kind?"

Neros spread his wings and sucked in a deep breath. Radiance's eyes grew wide, seeing what was coming. Neros roared as a wave of convexity burst from the back of his throat. Radiance roared in pain as the energy coursed through his body. Neros gave a final push and concentrated his breath attack. Radiance's body suddenly became petrified and hardened like it was stone. When Neros halted his attack, the lightning dragon remained frozen in place before toppling to the ground; his gold armor clanking loudly and falling off his broken body.

Neros smiled and licked his lips. "That is why you will always be inferior."

"Master."

Neros turned to see the apes emerging from their hiding places. One of them dragged with him Certo's limp body. "We found this one lurking about the campground. Can we kill him as well?"

Neros smiled, seeing the blood trickle down the side of Certo's head where he had been struck. "Not yet. I want him to suffer more. He has yet to feel real emotional pain. Have him bound tightly. I don't want him escaping. Understood?"

"Yes Master!" The apes nodded.

"As for the rest of you." Neros turned to the rest of the apes lurking about the campground. "Move out! We start our attack now!" An excited howl went up from the apes as they pumped their weapons in the air and beat their chests with their fists.

"Have there been any sightings yet?" Nitrus asked as he walked about the perimeter of the city. The dragon guard had established a watch shift system where the guards would go on lookout at timed intervals. All the while, the earth dragon guards established small blockades along the perimeter, making any organized invasion more of an improbability.

"No sir. None so far." The guard shook his head.

"Good." Nitrus nodded as he continued along. His thoughts drifted from the possibility of an attack to the black dragon who had come to warn them. "Maybe this whole thing was just a sham," He mumbled to himself. "It's been quiet for hours." He looked up as the beginnings of day began to break over the horizon, outlining the upper levels of the city in warm, sunlight.

"Nitrus!" The ice guardian turned his head to see Kia coming towards him. "Has there been any word from the guards? We're expecting an attack at any moment now."

"No, why do you ask? What's going on?" The blue dragon could detect the hint of fear in the air guardian's voice.

"Daybreak is here. And there hasn't been any word from Certo or Radiance since they left."

Nitrus's scales rattled nervously. "What?"

Kia shook her head. "Captain Cytros has been getting anxious. We may have to send in the other guards rather than holding them in reserve."

"That may be a good idea," Nitrus nodded. "Rally the other sentries. I'll spread the word to the current guard on patrol. Make sure our city and its inhabitants stay safe at all times."

"I understand." Kia bowed before taking to the air. She flew towards the upper levels of the city, but a disturbance in the wind caught her attention. The air dragoness turned and ducked as a spear whizzed over her head. "Son of a..." The dragoness cursed, but then another spear struck her in the shoulder, just below her wing deltoids. Kia screamed and faltered in the air. The sound of her cry alerted Nitrus that danger was already upon them. The ice guardian reared his head back and roared with all his might, his deep voice echoing across the city. The attack had come.

Certo's head throbbed as he steadily regained consciousness. It felt like he had been asleep with a migraine. With a low groan he opened his eyes only to see blackness. His head began to roll as vertigo overwhelmed him.

"Look, he's awake!" A voice exclaimed. The noise hurt Certo's ears and he ground his teeth in irritation. A sudden force yanked Certo off the ground and dangled his elongated body a few inches off the ground. He opened his mouth to let out an explosive roar but found his jaws bound tightly shut. All he managed was a muffled hiss, and the apes laughed.

"Nice try dragon. But your brother told us about your ability to control wind like him. So he took extra precautions so you wouldn't be able to escape us this time."

Certo growled as he tried to speak against the restraint of the makeshift muzzle. A leathery, clawed hand grabbed him around the neck and yanked him up. The blindfold was yanked off of Certo's face. The dark-eyed baboon snorted in his face and held him up higher.

"Good to see you're awake, lizard. You weren't much to take down, I have to tell you."

Certo glowered at the ape and tried to lash out at him with his claws only to find they had been bound to his body as well as his wings. The ape laughed and dropped him onto the ground. Certo's world spun and blurred for a moment as more apes began to gather around him.

"Your friend wasn't hard to take down either," The ape snickered.

"Friend?" Certo thought to himself. "Oh no! Not Crona!" His eyes widened when he realized that he had been unconscious for hours. How long had it been? How many hours? Or days even? The attack had no doubt commenced by now. But was it still going on? Had Neros invaded the city himself again?

The apes seemed to sense the black dragon's brooding thoughts and chuckled in spite of his state. "Aw, is the little dragon scared?" The biggest ape stepped aside and the others followed his lead. They cluster of apes parted to reveal a fallen lightning dragon across the field from them. Radiance's body was being scrounged over by several apes. His armor had been stripped and his bones were being pulled, picked and fought over by the barbarians.

Certo's heart suddenly felt like it weighed a ton inside his body. Tears began to fill his eyes at the sight of the murdered guard before him. Certo squeezed his eyes shut and looked away.

"Oh, what's the matter?" The big ape scoffed. "Don't like looking at dead things?" He and another ape grabbed Certo off the ground. The black dragon struggled to free himself but the apes held him fast. It took three more apes to restrain him enough so the leader could take hold of Certo's face in his clawed hand. "You're going to look and you're going to see what awaits you when the Master returns!"

He forced Certo's eyes open, making him stare at Radiance's body. Certo tried to avert his eyes, but everywhere he turned he could only see the snickering faces of the apes. His chin quivered as the tears welled up in his eyes and began streaming down his cheeks. His breathing became heavier as he struggled for air. Not from the apes holding him but the pain that was growing inside him. The feeling of helplessness of not being able to save an innocent. Someone who had been there to support him when others wouldn't. A life that was not yet ready to be extinguished.

Certo desperately tried to shut his eyes. The sight of Radiance's body began to blur before him and soon changed to his mother and father. Certo gasped hard at the visible memory before him. The two black dragons lay dead in their sleep, their skulls smashed in by the apes. The mirage shimmered and Certo could see his sister Stars and Ana, their bodies torn apart by the savages that had invaded their home. Certo did not realize his teeth chattering as the burning feeling intensified within his body.

The sudden cry of an ape grabbed the attention of the crowd. They turned to the apes who held Certo to see the leader yank his hand away. The flesh on his palm was searing as if it had been burned. The big ape stamped his hand into the dirt, trying to put out the burning feeling. A gasp of surprise swept through the group of baboons as they stared at Certo. His right eye was ablaze with crimson energy. His teeth rattled like a snake's tail and a roar resonated in his throat. The apes who held onto him tightened their grip and suddenly Certo's scars lit up. The energy that burned in his eye burst from his scars and burned the apes who restrained him. The baboons howled as their skin burned away.

The black dragon's muscles flexed, pressing his skin against the rope.

"You bastards!" Certo snarled, his voice becoming distorted by the energy. The ropes fell to the ground, their ends burning in the dirt.

The apes hooted and barked in alarm as they backed away from the black dragon. Waves of crimson energy began radiating out from Certo's feet, heating the ground beneath the apes' bare feet. The baboons started dancing wildly as the aura burned their feet and fur. Certo's growl was growing louder and the wind began to spiral around the campground.

Certo's crimson energy meshed with the wind, creating a brilliant, red tornado, boxing in the apes and preventing their escape. Overhead the sky and clouds turned red like blood. The apes began huddling together in fright, backing as far away from the black dragon as possible. The apes at the rear were pushed against the spiraling tower of energy. Their skin burned away as well, filling the air with the stench of their incinerating fur and flesh.

"You're all dead!" Certo growled, his eye and scars burning brighter by the second. The first baboon managed to stagger over to his giant bladed bone weapon before snatching it up in his good hand. With a mighty howl, he leaped into the air, preparing to strike down the young dragon. Certo turned on him with lightning speed, jaws opened wide. The roar that burst from his throat thundered across the sky as a beam of crimson shot from his mouth. The apes watched in horror as their leader hit the ground at the black dragon's feet; a hole was burned straight through his body.

"Your turn." The apes looked up to see the crimson eye staring right into them. Certo thrust his head forward, releasing another roar and a beam of energy. The apes scattered but not before several fell to the killing attack. Certo turned and fired again, killing several more apes, too slow to react in time.

By now, the apes were terrified. They began leaping over the black dragon's head and scurrying around the camp, hoping to make themselves harder to hit. Several apes braved the whirling tornado of energy and hurled themselves through the burning wall Certo had thrown up around the campground. They hit the ground on the opposite side, screaming in pain as their skin peeled away from their bones. Certo growled, noticing what they were doing.

"You aren't going anywhere," he muttered, lowering his head to the ground. The apes paused to see what was going on, hoping that the black dragon was giving up. Much to their dismay, Certo thrust his chest out, turning his head to the sky, releasing a tremendous roar. A tremor shook through the black dragon's body before an eruption of energy exploded from his body. The apes shrieked as they were engulfed by the blast. As the mushroom-shaped cloud rose into the sky, the black dragon took to the air, beating his wings hard as he headed for the city.

"I'm going to kill you, Neros!"

Another ape fell to the ground dead. Nitrus spun around, slashing with his tail blade as more apes pressed forward. The guards surrounding the city had not expected so many apes to attack at once. Several had been caught off guard almost instantly and were severely wounded. Nitrus and Kia struggled to hold off the invaders while the other guards continued to pull the wounded away from the battle ground. Kia's shoulder was still bleeding from the spearhead lodged in it, slowing her movements down significantly.

An ape leaped high onto her back, driving his dagger into her wing deltoids. The air guardian screamed and snatched the ape up in her jaws before shaking him savagely, tearing the filthy creature to shreds. Another ape was about to pounce on her when Nitrus swatted it out of the air, knocking it into a cluster of its comrades.

"Thanks!" Kia gasped, wavering slightly on her bad leg.

"Our work isn't done yet!" Nitrus snarled, ramming two more apes with his horns before turning to his fellow guardian. "Can you still fight?"

"Of course I can!" Kia inhaled deeply and blew a strong gust of air at Nitrus. The current banked around the ice guardian and into the two apes he had knocked to the ground, sending them tumbling backwards into a stone wall. "I just hope the little ones are okay."

"They have Cytros protecting them!" Nitrus kicked his hind leg, catching a charging ape in the face. "They should be fine."

"This is not good!" Amp called as he, Terra and Crona found themselves surrounded by the apes. The three young dragons had been separated from Cytros and his fellow guards right when the attack began. The fire guardian had ordered them to stay put while he and his sentries went to support the others at the perimeter. Shortly after they had disappeared into the city, the apes had broken through their lines.

"Stand tall!" Crona ordered. "They aren't that tough!"

"Hey, we've found her!" One of the apes hollered, pointing at Crona. "Get Neros and tell him we've found her!" A single ape hooted and turned to run back into the city. Crona's eyes widened as she realized what was going on. This was not just an attack, it was a plan to kidnap her.

The white dragoness backed up against her friends as the apes circled them, closing in the gap.

"Does this mean we can kill the other two?" A grizzly-looking apes growled, slobber dripping from his jowls.

"Amp..." Terra whimpered, pressing closer to him.

"They have to get through me first," Amp murmured reassuringly to her.

"That's what I'm afraid of," Terra replied.

"I don't see why not." The first ape shrugged. "They're not white. So we don't have to save them."

"Good. I hope they're screamers."

A sword swung at Amp's head. Crona halted time and rammed the ape in the face. The baboon fell away and Amp blinked curiously. He had been expecting a strike but suddenly the white dragoness had appeared in front of him.

"Pay attention, you two!" She snapped over her shoulder.

"Amp!" Terra screamed. The lightning guardian turned to see a blade coming down on top of him. Just before he was hit, Terra froze the ape where he stood with a burst of ice. Amp and Terra stood stupefied by her sudden reaction. Another ape reached out to grab Terra when Amp lurched forward, biting down on the barbarian's wrist and sending a surge of electricity through his body. The ape convulsed as its insides fried before falling dead at the young guardian's feet.

"Stand down!" A voice from above shouted angrily.

"Oh, no." Crona thought to herself. All eyes looked up as a pale white dragon glided down from the sky before landing on a cushion of air in the street.

Terra and Amp looked at the ruby-eyed dragon curiously. "Certo?"

Neros looked at them in disgust at first. But then a smile spread across his face. "No. Sorry. I'm not."

"You sure?" Amp raised a brow. "You look exactly like him. I mean, besides your coloration and all."

"Amp! Shut up!" Crona snarled, taking a stand in front of the two younger dragon. The lightning guardian's eyes widened by the dragoness' sudden hostility.

"Good to see you again." Neros smirked. "I'm sure you know why I'm here."

"It wasn't hard to figure out," Crona growled.

"Then why don't you be a good girl and come quietly."

"Crona, what's going on?" Terra asked, the fear was very apparent in her voice.

"Terra, not now!" Crona hissed, not breaking her eyes from Neros's.

"I tell you what, Crona," Neros said, starting to slowly circle the three dragons. "If you just come quietly, I promise I'll spare their disgusting lives."

Crona narrowed her blue eyes at him. "Forgive me if I'm not entirely trusting of your words. But if you want me..." Time stopped where it was and Crona took the chance she had. With a powerful kick of her hind legs, she barreled through the apes before turning around to unfreeze time. "You're going to have to catch me, Neros!"

The albino dragon shook his head. In the blink of an eye the dragoness had been only a few feet from him, and now she was breaking through his troops and getting away.

"After her!" He roared, shaking the ground. "I want that dragoness!"

The apes hooted and howled, before turning to pursue their prey. Neros spread his wings and leaped into the air. A sudden force struck him from the side as Amp rammed him in the ribs. The albino rolled gracefully and landed on his feet, facing the young guardian.

"You're not going anywhere, pal!" Amp growled. "I don't know who you are, but you aren't any friend of Crona's and therefore aren't any friend of mine!"

Neros chuckled. "Well I'm no Certo. But you'll find that out soon enough." Neros lunged for Amp. The lightning dragon whirled around, catching the black dragon in the side of the head with the flat of his tail blade. Neros staggered a few steps before Amp rammed him in the chest with his horns. Neros slid back but refused to fall to the younger dragon.

"Is that all you have?" Neros sneered.

"Hardly!" Amp shouted. A roar burst from his throat as a bolt of lightning shot from his mouth. Neros side-stepped the bolt as it struck a nearby pavilion, destroying the wall of stone. The black dragon whistled, in a mocking tone.

"Not bad kid. Too bad you can't hit a target right in front of you."

"I missed on purpose!" Amp snarled and thrust his head forward. Neros folded his wings in front of him as another bolt burst from Amp's jaws. The bolt of lightning bounced off a barrier of convexity and struck another pavilion.

"What in the world?" Terra and Amp's eyes grew wide. Neros smiled from behind his barrier, before lowering it.

"Pretty nifty trick huh?" I was going to show Certo this back when... Oh, what am I telling you for?" Neros kicked hard against the stone beneath his feet and head-butted Amp. The lightning dragon staggered back as stars and spots filled his vision. Neros spun, intending on ending Amp's life with his tail blade.

"No!" Terra screamed, lurching forward, and tackling Neros to the ground. The albino dragon's tail blade struck Amp, glancing off one of his horns.

"You want some too?" Neros snarled and slashed Terra across the face. The ice dragoness screamed as she hit the ground. Neros got to his feet and stood over her, pressing his claws into her neck.

"Get your paws off her!" Amp pounced on Neros from the side and bit down on his neck. Neros snarled menacingly and grabbed the yellow dragon's hind leg in his jaws. He bit down hard and Amp stifled a scream, but held onto his opponent none the less. Neros clenched his jaws tighter and a loud snap caused Amp to release his grip.

The lightning guardian was hurled into a wall before Terra jumped in again. The young ice dragoness blew a cloud of jagged ice particles into Neros's face. The black dragon bellowed angrily and staggered back. Terra struck Neros across the snout with her talons before clawing at his side as he wobbled blindly.

"Terra, move!" The grey dragoness jumped out of the way as a blast of water struck Neros in the side. The force was enough to knock the wind out of him and slam him into another pavilion.

As the albino lay in the street, coughing on the water that had engulfed him, Terra turned to see Cryus coming towards them.

"Thanks for the help." Terra breathed a sigh of relief.

"Any time." The water guardian nodded, moving to help Amp up on his broken hind leg. "I see Certo's color changed." The blue dragon narrowed his eyes at Neros who was shaking the water from his body. "This seems to fit his personality much more."

"It's not Certo." Terra shook her head, taking up position on Amp's opposite side.

Cryus shot the dragoness a quick glance before turning back to the black dragon. "He's not? But they look exactly alike. I mean, besides the coloration and all."

"He tried to go after Crona," Amp wheezed. "He sent the apes after her."

Hearing the dragoness' name caused a fire to burn within Cryus's heart. "Terra! Freeze him!"

Without missing a beat, Terra blew a cloud of ice, freezing Neros to the ground. After making sure Terra could support Amp, Cryus walked over to the albino. "Alright pal, what do you think you're doing with Crona? She is not yours for the taking." A growl bubbled in his throat as he readied another hydro-blast should the pale dragon reply with something other than what he wanted.

Neros only laughed. "That's for me to know, and you to keep guessing about." The dragon's body began to generate convexity and purple bolts of lightning crackled around him.

"What the...!" Cryus jumped backwards, his eyes wide in surprise.

Neros continued to chuckle mockingly. "You all seem to know Certo quite well around here. Or at least you think you do."

"Wh-what do you mean?" Cryus squeaked, taking another cautious step backwards.

With a gruff snort, and a quick flex of his muscles, Neros shattered the ice that held him prisoner. The young dragons' gasped in shock. In a flash, the albino knocked Cryus on his back and dug his claws into his shoulders, pinning him to the ground.

"Cryus!" Amp tried to move but collapsed on his hind leg.

Neros ignored the lightning dragon and brought his snout to Cryus's. "The difference between me and my brother is..." In a lightning fast strike, Neros whipped his tail blade around, slashing Cryus across his right eye. The water guardian screamed and turned away from the deadly blade. Neros smiled wickedly and laughed. "I'm nastier."

"Get off of him!" Amp fired another bolt of lightning, and again Neros formed a barrier of convexity.

An earth-shaking roar came from behind and Neros whirled around as an earth missile hit his violet force field. The strength of the impact knocked the air dragon off of Cryus, who rolled onto his belly, clutching at his bleeding eye.

"You are not welcome here, feral!" Tectonica growled as she and Volcanus emerged from behind a pavilion.

Neros lowered his barrier and got to his feet. "More?" He looked around the crowd of dragons closing in on him. Cryus lay where he fell, but Amp and Terra were ready for more. "So eager to die now, are we?"

"Young Certo, if you wish to have your life terminated, then we will have no other choice but to comply with your request," Volcanus hissed, lowering his head towards the ground.

Neros rolled his eyes. "Now why does everyone keep saying that?"

"We will not tolerate you harming innocent dragons in our city," Volcanus continued, ignoring the albino's comment.

Neros leered at the fire guardian. "There are no innocents among dragons. I'll be the one to make sure you all die, and rid this world of your wretched presence."

"You may try!" Volcanus roared and breathed a wave of fire at Neros. The young dragon flapped his wings, sending the blue flames back into the fire guardian's face. Volcanus bellowed angrily and rubbed his eyes as Tectonica fired another earth missile. Neros leaped into the air, but the sudden upheaval of earth knocked him off balance. Amp and Terra combined their breath attacks, sending a charged cloud of ice into the air. Neros felt the particles numb his skin and soon the sensation became overwhelming.

The albino dragon snarled fiercely and beat his tingling wings to blow the particles away. Tectonica fired another earth bullet, nearly clipping the air dragon's wing. Neros spun around and inhaled deeply. Just as he released a sonic roar, Volcanus belched out another fire ball. The fireball exploded and shook the city. Embers and ash blew across the pavilions, blinding the guardians for several minutes.

"Neros!" A sudden furious voice shouted. A strong wind blew the dust and ash away, allowing the guardians to finally breathe. The dragons opened their eyes to look up at the blood-red sky.

"When did that happen?" Amp gasped, noticing the frightening color for the first time.

"I don't know." Terra shook her head.

The guardians turned their attention when they heard the flapping of wings. Certo and Crona landed in the street; the black dragon looking around fiercely. It was then they noticed that Neros had vanished.

"After her! I want that dragoness!" Neros shouted as the apes chased after Crona. The white dragoness took off as fast as her legs could carry her. The apes were far faster than she was on the ground; but that did not matter. She needed to get them away from Terra and Amp. The apes barked and howled excitedly as they chased the dragoness down streets and alleyways.

An ape lunged for Crona from a rooftop. The dragoness stopped time, ran past him, released her hold and kept going. The apes trampled over him, not giving a second glance to their comrade who had landed face first into the stone street.

Just ahead was an open courtyard.

"Perfect," Crona thought to herself. She kicked on the speed and rushed straight for it. The instant she entered the open space, she froze the apes in time and took off down an alley on her right, before ducking behind a pavilion. She released her hold on time and the excited howls of the apes turned to confusion and puzzlement. The smelly barbarians entered the courtyard, scratching their heads curiously.

"She vanished!" One of them exclaimed.

"That's impossible, you idiot! Dragons don't just vanish into thin air."

"Then where did she go?"

"I have no clue!"

"Maybe she used that time travel ability the Master was talking about."

Crona's heart nearly stopped. "He told them!" She gasped to herself. Now she was cursing herself for having said anything to Neros. She looked up at the sky to see nothing but crimson. "What in the world?" She squinted up at the clouds. Their appearance seemed familiar. "Where have I seen that before?"

"Spread out! Track her down! She has to have left a trail somewhere!" The apes began sweeping the courtyard, sniffing noisily about. Crona peeked around the side of the pavilion she was hiding behind to see one ape heading in her direction. The baboon had picked up her scent but was showing little interest in where it led to. Crona ducked back around the corner and held her breath, hoping that he would not find her.

A low breeze blew across the courtyard and quickly picked up into a strong whirlwind. A sudden bark in surprise and a shriek of pain grabbed the apes attention. Crona turned to see the ape looking back over his shoulder as a wave of red energy swept across the courtyard.

"How did you get away!?" An ape bellowed. A split second later his shriek reached Crona's ears. The ape that had been so close to finding her grabbed his sword and rushed out of the alley. Crona crept out from her hiding place and slipped down the alley as the howls and barks of the fight continued. A bloody carcass hit the roof above her and dropped to the ground. Crona screamed, jumping back in surprise. The ape's body had a hole blown through it. Its stinking flesh sizzled, making Crona curl her lip in utter revulsion.

Suddenly a beam of crimson energy cut across her view and another cry filled the air. Crona stepped over the body and poked her head out of the alleyway. What she saw made her mouth fall open.

In the middle of the courtyard, Certo stared down the apes. Several bodies lay around him, smoldering, from what, Crona could not tell. The black dragon's body was sizzling with hot energy as the crimson light emanated from his bad eye and scars across his body. "Dear ancestors!" Crona whispered to herself.

Two apes lunged for the black dragon. Certo leaped up between them, as they hit the ground where they had stood a second before. The black dragon reared his head back and fired a ball of crimson energy. The blast exploded, sending apes flying in all directions. The barbarians lucky enough to still be standing were on the attack again. An ape with a scythe on a chain swung his weapon at the black dragon's head.

"Certo!" Crona cried. The black dragon turned slowly as time began to slow down. Crona burst from hiding, and shot across the courtyard like a white rocket, knocking the scythe away with her talons. Certo blinked to see the white dragoness suddenly appear from out of nowhere. The ape yanked his weapon back and began spinning it as the rest of his fellow savages got to their feet.

"What are you doing here?" Certo growled, his eyes mad with hatred.

"I told you before," Crona said, turning to look at him over her shoulder. "I'm here to have your back." Certo stared at her for a moment before Crona's eyes widened. "Duck!" On instinct the black dragon lowered his head. Crona watched as a sword swung over Certo's head before vaulting off his back and latching onto the ape's face. The beast howled as she tore at his eyes before springing off of him. The moment she hit the ground, another ape lunged for her. Certo roared, firing another burst of red energy. The ape shrieked as his arm carrying the weapon burned away. Crona turned as the scythe-wielding ape hurled his chained weapon at Certo again. The white dragoness reached out and pulled Certo's head down as the blade shot over his head, impaling an ape on his right. Crona leaped over Certo's back as the black dragon turned and unleashed a wide beam of energy at the ape and his nearby comrades.

Crona struck the next ape across the face, before landing and striking another in the kneecap with her long talons. The apes crumbled to the ground. A moment later, Certo pounced on both of them, driving his tail blade into the gut of one while crushing the other's throat in his jaws. He turned his head as another howl cut across the courtyard. Crona wrenched an ape's arm from its socket, dislocating it and rendering it useless. The last three apes dove in and dog-piled her.

"Crona!" Certo yelled. A sudden crack from above caught his attention.

High in the air, Crona stared down at the apes. Her eyes glazed over as she concentrated on the world around her. She could see and feel how strong the blue mist was in this city. Down below, the apes looked at one another in confusion. Crona narrowed her eyes as she concentrated harder. A moment later a yellow spark jumped out from the mist and Crona extended a paw towards it. The apes and Certo stared up at her as a charged bolt of lightning gathered in talons. It took only a second for her to gather the energy she needed. With a fierce cry and a deafening crack, she released the bolt of lightning from her paw. The electric energy struck the apes, engulfing them and sending a shock wave through the courtyard. The blast caught Certo by surprise, knocking him head over heals.

The black dragon coughed as dust choked his lungs. He flapped his wing and cleared the courtyard of the suffocating debris. Crona glided down to him and looked rather guilty.

"I'm sorry about that," She apologized. "It's been a while since I had to use that attack."

Certo coughed a couple more times before looking up at her. His scars had stopped glowing but his bad eye continued to blaze with energy.

"You can use lightning?" He choked slightly.

Crona sighed and nodded. "I can do a lot more than you ever imagined."

Certo shook his head and got to his feet. "Thank you."

"What?" Crona looked at him curiously and cocked her head slightly.

"For having my back." Certo bobbed his head, staring her in the eyes.

"You're welcome." Crona nodded with a faint smile. "I said I would and I meant it."

"But don't think that this means I've completely forgiven you for what you did before." Certo growled, narrowing his eyes at her. "It's going to be a while before I can completely trust you again."

Crona sighed again, sadly this time. "I understand. And I deserve it."

"Darn right you do," Certo grumbled under his breath. "Where are the others? Is everyone okay?"

Crona's eyes widened as she remembered. "Oh my gosh! Where's Neros?"

Certo's eyes widened and his scars blazed alive again with energy. "You lost track of him?"

"I thought he was chasing me!" Crona shook her head frantically. "I was trying to get him away from Amp and Terra!"

"We have to find them!" Certo snarled. His warped voice frightened Crona, but she could not argue.

Just then an explosion rumbled from across the city. The two dragons turned to see blue fire billow into the air along with a cloud of dust and ash.

"Come on!" Crona shouted, taking off before Certo and taking to the sky. Certo sprang after her and beat his wings hard as they flew towards the explosion. The blast had covered a large area of the pavilions in a cloud of debris. "Certo, clear out that mess! We need to be able to see!" Crona ordered.

"Gladly," Certo growled. He beat his wings hard. The gust began to blow the cloud away, making the streets visible once again. "Neros!" Certo roared furiously. He flew higher to get a better view of the area. Down below, he spotted Amp, Terra and Cryus alongside Volcanus and Tectonica. The dragons all looked up at him; Amp and Terra's mouths fell open at the sight of the glowing black dragon. Certo searched frantically for a sign of the albino black dragon. Certo could feel his blood boiling even more and the energy emanating from his body intensified. In the distance he could hear the sounds of dragons fighting off the apes, but the noise was beginning to die down. "Damn it!" Certo fumed, his body crackling with red lightning.

"Certo!"

The black dragon turned to see Crona already down on the ground beside Amp and Terra. Certo drifted down to them and the guardians gave him a disgusted look.

"What do you think you're doing here?" Tectonica growled.

Certo paid her no attention as he walked over to join Crona. He could see Amp's hind leg was busted at the knee joint. The teeth marks were deep but the young dragon tried to play it off as Certo would have done.

Off to the side, Cryus staggered to his feet, still clutching his right eye with his paw. "Stay with them." Crona said, indicating she was talking about Terra and Amp. She moved closer to Cryus and helped hoist him off the ground and support his shoulder. "Are you alright?" She asked sincerely.

"My eye..." Cryus groaned. "I can't see."

"Let me see," Crona whispered, trying to calm the guardian down. He sounded like he was on the verge of hysterics. Cryus reluctantly removed his paw for Crona to see. His eye was squeezed shut but Crona could see the laceration clearly. It was deep and would leave a scar for sure. "It doesn't look like it damaged your eye directly," Crona reported, assessing the wound. "But you're going to have to keep it closed for a while while it heals."

"Are you two alright?" Certo asked, looking Terra in the eye as she supported her mate.

"We'll be alright," she nodded. "What about you?" She looked him over as his scars began to return to normal.

"I'd rather worry about you two," Certo growled, looking at Amp. "You tried to fight Neros, didn't you?"

"Yeah." Amp nodded. "He's a lot tougher than he looks."

"You shouldn't have done that," Certo growled. "He would have killed you if your fellow guardians hadn't shown up."

"I am talking to you!" Tectonica snarled, grabbing Certo with her talons.

"Get lost!" Certo snapped at her, swatting her massive paw away.

"Why, you insolent little feral brat!" The earth guardian bellowed and snapped at the black dragon. Certo whirled on her in a flash, slashing her across the snout with his claws. Tectonica recoiled, hissing furiously.

"That is quite enough, all of you!" Volcanus shouted, his voice echoing across the city. Every head turned to look at him except Certo and Tectonica who continued to stare each other down. The earth dragoness glared at the black dragon with tears in her eyes from the stinging marks on her snout. "Young dragon, that means you too!" Volcanus growled, something he rarely felt the need to do. Certo ignored him and kept his blazing eye on Tectonica. "Young dragon, you will look at me when I am addressing you!" Volcanus snarled.

"Come on, Crona," Certo muttered. "Let's get Amp and Terra home." He walked over to Amp as his body returned to normal. Amp gave a surprised grunt as Certo hoisted him over his back.

"I'll catch up to you," Crona replied, helping support Cryus.

Certo glanced at her over his shoulder for a moment before shrugging. "Whatever." He and Terra began to leave when an angry bellow came from behind them.

"You will not show such disrespect to a guardian and elder dragon!" Volcanus shouted, jumping in front of the black dragon as he started to lead the way towards Terra's home. Certo moved to walk around the elder, infuriating the blue dragon even more. Volcanus raised a paw to strike Certo, not even caring that a wounded Amp lay draped over his back. Certo stopped as his eye began to burn bright again. Just as Volcanus swung his paw, Cytros appeared out of nowhere with Nitrus, Kia and several guards. The captain of the guard stepped in, placing his muscular foreleg in front of Certo, taking the strike to his armored limb. Volcanus and the other dragons looked at him in surprise.

"Captain," Volcanus gasped, somewhat startled by the younger male's presence. "I'm glad you're here." Volcanus turned his fiery-orange eyes on Certo and curled his lip. "I want that black dragon arrested."

Cytros was surprised at first by the order, but only gave Certo a quick glance.

"On what charges, sir?" He asked, appearing cool and collected.

Volcanus stared at Cytros, surprised that he would even question his order in the first place. "Well for starters, he has been held responsible for the destruction of our sacred academy. Secondly, he's brought not one, but two attacks from vicious outsiders who have slain several of our kind, and wounded several others." Volcanus turned to look at Cryus who leaned on Crona for support. The water guardian clutched at his face as the pain began to overwhelm him once again.

"Damn him!" Cryus snarled. "Damn that feral!"

"Cryus, that's enough!" Crona snapped. "Now is not the time. Just be glad you're alive."

"Oh, I'll kill him the next time I see him," Cryus growled. "I swear I will."

"You won't be the one to kill him," Certo growled. "Because that is going to be my job."

Cryus looked at him with his good eye. "You! This is all your fault!"

"Cryus!" Crona snapped again, more harshly this time.

"No! Not this time Crona!" Cryus stepped away from her, still holding his face in his paw. "It was one thing to start a fight with me before, but when you actually decide to hurt me, then that's where I draw the line! I'm going to make you pay for what you did to my eye!" Crona was dumbstruck as she stared at the blue water dragon. All of a sudden she felt her own temper flare up and her talons dug into the street.

"You see, Captain?" Volcanus explained, looking back at Cytros. "You've heard it from another guardian that this dragon has deliberately gone and attacked him on more than one occasion."

Cytros looked down at Certo. "Is that true Certo?"

"No," Certo shook his head before fixing his eyes on the water guardian. "Though if he really wants to then I can more than comply with his request."

"Certo!" Crona scolded.

Cryus snarled angrily at the black dragon. "You're the cause for everything bad that goes on around here! It's all because of you!"

"That's quite enough, both of you." Volcanus scolded, looking at Certo, without giving the water guardian a second glance.

"Certo, take Ampus and Terra to my home," Nitrus ordered, seeing that the situation was going to quickly escalate out of control soon.

Certo stared hard at him, before the glow in his eyes faded away. The black dragon walked past the ice guardian as the guards separated, giving him room.

"Not so fast, Nitrus," Volcanus interrupted. "The dragon is under arrest! Or did you not hear?"

"I heard." Nitrus nodded. "And I am having him escort my daughter and son-in-law to the safety of my home. If you have anything to say, then we shall discuss it at the next meeting."

Before the fire guardian could reply, Nitrus turned to Cytros. "Captain, let's go. We have work to do."

"Yes, sir!" Cytros saluted with a wing, before following the ice dragon back towards the perimeter of the city, discussing new watch tactics for the coming evening. Behind them, Crona left Cryus and followed along closely, hoping to catch up to Terra, Amp and Certo.

Volcanus watched as they marched away with a frown on his face. Tectonica walked back to his side and glared as the procession disappeared into the city.

"I think that feral has cast some sort of spell upon them," She growled. "Judging by that eye of his."

"I would doubt your words any other day," Volcanus muttered, narrowing his eyes as he remembered the look Certo had given them. "But as of now, I'm inclined to agree with your hypothesis."

"What in the great blue blazes happened here?" Neros gasped as he and the remaining apes looked around their demolished campground. The earth was charred black and all around the impact crater. The crater itself was burned to a glossy polish.

"M-Master..." A raspy voice called from the trees. The battle group turned to see several of their fellow apes stagger out from the trees at the edge of the forest. All were battered, burned and bleeding. Their scorched fur stuck to their open wounds and the stench of their torched flesh hung heavily in the air.

Neros's eyes widened in shock at their mutilated state.

"What happened here?" He gasped, still shocked at what he was seeing.

"We... We're sorry Master. "But... your brother... you see... he got... um... away," The ape wheezed.

"He what!?" Neros fumed, his tail blade raising high in the air. He lunged for the ape and knocked him to the ground with ease. The baboon soon found the albino's tail blade at his throat, quivering with eager anticipation for his blood to be spilled across the ground. "How is that possible? I had ordered him tied, gagged, and bound so he could not escape at all! So how is it that you buffoons ended up letting him get away!" His ruby eyes fixed on the other battle-scarred apes. "Did one of you release him?" The apes quickly shook their heads. "Then how!?" Neros demanded. "Unless one of you is lying, in which case, I'll have to kill all of you!"

"No! Master! Please!" The wounded apes fell to their knees, bowing deeply and praying for forgiveness. "He... your brother... he used this great power! He freed himself! We had nothing to do with it!"

Neros squinted at the ape. "Explain yourself."

"It.. it happened so fast!" The ape shook his head as he tried to remember. "It was this power that seemed to burn everything it touched."

"Or touched it," Another of the wounded apes remarked, extending his burned hands towards the young dragon, for him to see.

Neros inspected the burn closely. It still puzzled him how his twin had managed to escape. But now he became filled with more curiosity than spite. He stepped away from the apes and looked towards the remainder of the attack force. "Gather any survivors. We're going to be heading back."

"Yes Master!" The apes went about helping along the wounded survivors from Certo's escape.

The albino black dragon watched as more wounded were gathered from the surrounding forest. He looked down at the scorched earth beneath his feet, then to the burned leaves of the trees. Something did not sit right in his stomach. He had half the mind to go back and hunt down his brother personally. But launching an attack twice in one day with severely crippled forces would have been a fool's error.

"I suppose I'll have to look into this matter more personally another day."


	24. Chapter 24

**Well it's the official AoH day today. 1 year ago was when the first 3 chapters ever hit here on . I honor of my longest running project, I have uploaded more of the conceptual sketches to my profile on deviant art. Head over to check out your favorite characters and more on the upcoming AOH Books, Art panels, short films.**

"Are you feeling any better?" Thundra asked, as she finished mending up the wounds on Kia's right shoulder. The air guardian's right front limb had been temporarily crippled from the initial strike by the spear. Nitrus had helped her back to his home for medical treatment immediately after the apes had fled the city.

During the attack the savage baboons had been frantically trying to press through the dragon blockade with more success than Nitrus cared to see. Most of the guards had been able to stay a significant number of the barbarians, but the fight was not without its casualties. Seven dragon guards had lost their lives during the attack and others were critically wounded, some even crippled permanently. Kia had been one of the lucky ones, suffering only a couple major wounds and some minor cuts here and there.

The air guardian moved the arm slightly, causing a twinge of pain to shoot through her body. "It still hurts if that's what you're asking. But overall I feel much better, thank you." Kia nodded with a friendly smile. She was not used to relying on the help of others, but seeing how the world around her was changing, she felt that it would be best if she changed as well.

She looked over at the young couples beside her in the crowded guest room. Terra had some minor cuts and bruises but nothing serious. Amp's broken leg was now splinted and extended out to the side to help the bone set properly. Neros had snapped his knee at the joint, thankfully not fracturing the young dragon's leg. Terra was fast asleep beside her mate, who was also drifting off himself. Out on the balcony, Certo and Crona stood together, watching the city beyond. Shouts and cries of the city dragons still hung in the air as the wounded were gathered and the dead were mourned.

The sounds of sorrow, pain and despair seemed to stab Certo in the heart. He clutched at his chest and tried to slow his breathing down. Crona turned to him with a worried look in her eyes.

"Something wrong?"

"No," Certo muttered. The white dragoness wanted to call him out on his lie. but now was not the time.

"Do you think Neros is going to launch another attack?"

Certo shook his head. "I don't think so. Neros isn't dumb enough to fight when the odds are stacked against him."

"That's good. I wish the apes were the same way," Crona sighed looking down at her talons.

Certo looked down at her and noticed the sad expression on her face. She had seen it dozens of times. Dragons outnumbering the apes in a single battle but only to fall to the ruthless creatures' savagery. "Are you expecting an attack yourself?"

"I would almost expect it considering how many years I've been..." He voice trailed off. "Never mind. I'm just rambling again. But if you think Neros won't attack again in the same day, then I trust your instinct."

"Well I trust yours too," Certo replied in a forceful voice. "If you think we should do something to make sure the city is protected then let's not be hesitant about it."

Crona stared into the black dragon's eyes. They were extremely fierce and determined. He wanted to put an end to his brother's genocidal plan. "Alright then." She turned to Kia and Thundra. "We'll be back to walk you home. We hopefully won't take too long."

"She's not going anywhere," Thundra replied in a humorous tone. "She'll be staying here tonight."

"That's very generous of you." Kia smiled at her fellow dragoness. "I will be up and out before you know it."

Thundra chuckled. "Hopefully not too soon."

"Well, get some rest either way," Crona instructed the guardian. "We'll be back as soon as we can."

"You two watch each other's backs out there." Kia warned them with a cautious eye. "There may be still enemies lurking about the city."

"That's what I'm afraid of," Crona thought to herself.

"We'll be fine." Certo bobbed his head with a gruff growl. He spread his wings and leaped off the balcony with Crona following right on his tail. "We should find Captain Cytros first. He'll be the one most willing to listen."

"I agree." Crona nodded, but then her expression grew stern. "Certo, I want you to go to the library and wait for me there."

The black dragon looked shocked. "What? Why?"

"Because look around you," Crona said, thrusting her head about. "It's still daylight outside. The city residents are still up and if they see you it's most likely going to cause some more panic."

"So! I don't care what..."

"Certo, please. I'm asking you for a personal favor." Crona stared hard at him. "I'm just taking a precaution because the guardians saw you this morning. I don't want this mess to become any bigger than necessary."

Certo clenched his claws tightly. This was his fight; not hers. However, something in Crona's eyes told him that she was just as affected by all this as he was, if not more so. "Fine," he growled. "But you'd better be fast. I don't..."

"You don't have to worry about me." Crona nodded, understanding where he was taking the conversation. "I promise I'll be there in just a few minutes."

Certo stared at her hard, trying to see if she was being sincere this time. Like the previous evening at the library, he could see no sign of roguish intent.

With a single beat of his wings, the black dragon banked away from her and flew as fast as he could towards the library.

"Thank you," Crona sighed to herself.

It took her longer than she expected to find the captain of the guard. The city was alive with dragons in a mad panic over the attack. As she soared overhead, Crona could pick up bits and pieces of what had happened throughout the city. Most of the dragons had heard the alarm and had stayed in their homes, cowering from the malevolent apes. Some had gone out and joined the guard in hopes of pressing the invaders back. Most were severely injured while others had lost their lives entirely. Crona remembered hearing her father's words in her head.

"Casualties of war," she whispered glumly. She never liked the idea of noble sacrifices. She respected those who gave their lives for a better cause, but the loss of life was too painful a subject for her. "They didn't deserve to die. Mother didn't deserve to die." The dragoness closed her eyes as she tried to fight back the tears that wanted to fall to the streets below.

"Crona!"

The white dragoness opened her eyes to see Captain Cytros taking to the air from the streets ahead.

"Captain! I was looking for you!" Crona called, wiping her eyes, hoping he would not notice.

"Where's Certo?" Cytros demanded.

"He's at the library. Why do you ask?" Crona puzzled, coming to a hovering halt in front of he fire dragon.

"He may be in some deep trouble," Cytros muttered darkly. "The city is teeming with a rumor that he's returned, bringing more apes to destroy everyone."

"What? That's stupid! It was his brother! And some of the dragons even saw that it wasn't Certo!"

"But that's not what the guardians would have everyone believe," Cytros growled. "I fear it's Volcanus and Tectonica spreading lies throughout the city in hopes of gathering everyone to rally against Certo."

"What are they going to do?" Crona shook her head. She could feel her temper rising with each heart beat.

The fire guard shook his head. "I can't say for sure. He's already supposed to be banished. They may try and have him imprisoned or worse."

"What could possibly be worse?" Crona demanded. "They couldn't seriously execute him for something he didn't do!"

"I would not hold my breath, little one." Cytros frowned. "Come. We need to find them and put an end to this madness, otherwise the entire city will be in more of a panic." He took off at a hurried pace towards the council chambers with Crona already seeming to realize where he was going. She flew on ahead of him and got to the temple building first. The young dragoness stomped through the halls until she came to the conference room. It was empty. As Cytros came up behind her, Crona shook her head.

"They're not here." She growled.

"I could have told you that." The two dragons turned to see Sin standing behind them.

"Has anyone told you are an extremely quiet walker?" Crona asked, narrowing her eyes at him.

The oracle cracked a faint smile. "You're the first today."

"Master Oracle." Cytros bowed. "We were wishing to speak to our guardians of fire and earth. Would you by any chance have seen them?"

Sin shook his head. "No, but I may imagine that they are in their residential quarters."

"That's all we needed to know," Crona said, ushering towards the main doors.

"Thank you Master Oracle." Cytros bowed again. "Your help is, as always, appreciated." The fire guard started down the hall but Crona hung back for a moment.

"You wish to know what will happen next?" Sin asked staring at her with his white eyes.

"And to think I didn't have to ask you myself," Crona replied sarcastically.

Again, a smile tugged at Sin's cheek. "Very well. You are on the right path. Just don't forget what I said about mainly concerning yourself with Certo."

"I know, I know." Crona rolled her eyes as she walked past him. "Watch and take notes like I always do." Just before she disappeared around the corner she turned and looked back at him. "You know, I don't think even the Chronicler himself spoke in so many riddles as you do."

This evoked a chuckle from Sin, but he said nothing.

Outside, Crona caught up to Cytros as they headed towards the guardian of fire's home pavilion. Once they arrived, Cytros rapped his claws on the side of the main entrance loudly.

"Master Volcanus! We wish to have a word with you."

The sounds of muffled footsteps could be heard inside. A minute later a large blue head appeared from behind the curtain; but it was not Volcanus.

Titanus glared at the captain but then stared down at Crona. He was still covered in medicinal leaves where his most serious wounds were. Scars from second-degree burns peppered his body. He still moved with a slight hindrance but he shook that off once his eyes fell on the white dragoness.

"Hey babe! You finally came to see if I was okay."

"Don't flatter yourself." Crona growled. Up until now, she had completely forgotten that the school bully had even existed. "I'm here on business and you're not included."

The blue dragon leaned down towards her with a wicked grin on his face. "I think I can weasel my way into that schedule of yours. Among a few other things."

Crona was about to lash out at him when a heavy paw came down on Titanus's head. The blue dragon hit the ground as Cytros growled, bringing his teeth closer to the adolescent dragon's neck.

"That is not how you speak to a lady. And you had best mind your manners around her or anyone else when I am present."

"Or what?" Titanus sneered. "You can't do anything to me. My grandfather will have you banished if you so much as strike me."

"Then so be it," Cytros said with a smile. "I will take all the banishment in the world to make sure you get taught some discipline."

"Captain Cytros! What in the world do you think you're doing?" Both Cytros and Crona looked up to see Volcanus walking out of the back room of his home.

"Teaching your dip-shit grandson a little lesson in manners." Crona spat, glowering at Titanus out of the corner of her eye.

"What gives you the right to walk in here and treat my kin as you are now?" Volcanus demanded, retaining his cool and collected voice.

Cytros narrowed his eyes at the guardian. "I was merely making a point that your grandson is not to talk to ladies like they are some object of his desire. They are to be treated with respect."

Volcanus brought his nose close to the captain's and glared. "If you have a problem with my grandson then you are to take it up with me. You are not his family and you are not to discipline him yourself."

Crona laughed out loud in the guardian's face. "We would. But we've already learned by now that you wouldn't do a bloody thing about it! So any faith we had in you is pretty much gone."

Volcanus turned his fiery orange eyes down at Crona. The white dragoness was starting to press on his last nerve. "Young dragoness, I suggest..."

"Shut up," Crona growled, turning away from him. "Come on, Captain. This is a waste of our time. I should have known better than to hope they would change."

Cytros looked at Crona with a stunned expression. He gave one last glance at Volcanus and followed after the white dragoness. When they were gone, Titanus got to his feet.

"You should really teach them to respect you more," He growled. "I would have thrashed that guy big time if I had felt better."

"Violence is not the way to deal with others," Volcanus replied, ducking back inside.

"Well maybe it should be." Titanus growled.

The guardian of fire walked back to his chamber where Tectonica lay waiting for him.

"What seems to be the trouble now?" She asked, already irritated at having heard the white dragoness's voice out front.

"I think Crona may be siding with the black dragon in an attempt to overthrow us."

Tectonica growled. "She wouldn't dare."

"I didn't think it all possible either." Volcanus shook his head. "But she's far more clever than other dragons her age. I believe she could do it."

"Then we will have to stop her before she gets a chance."

Crona growled to herself, grinding her teeth in frustration as she and Cytros walked across the city towards the library. All around, dragons and guards were still hustling back and forth, tending to wounded, establishing new lines of defense and mourning over the dead being brought in.

"Stupid so-called guardians." Crona grumbled to herself. "If I were back home, no one would stand for this childish and arrogant behavior."

"And where would that be?" Cytros asked, making Crona realize she had been thinking out loud. The white dragoness' cheeks flushed slightly at being caught in her private moment.

"A long ways away, that's all I'm going to say." Crona sighed. She was too fed up with Volcanus to really care to go into detail.

"I can imagine," Cytros said with a sly smile. "I hear you've been here only a little while longer than Certo. Do you plan on going home anytime soon? I'm sure your family misses you."

Crona looked down at the stones in the street. She felt guilty about not being able to reach her father and not trying harder to get home. "He must be worried sick," Crona mumbled to herself.

Cytros draped a wing around Crona's back and gave her a comforting pat on her side. "You know, you and Certo are more alike than you might think, Young Crona."

"What?" Crona's head snapped up to look at the fire guard.

"Think about it. You both come from a place that is far different than ours. You both have family elsewhere that must be worried sick about your long disappearance, and you both refuse to leave due to some unknown purpose; which I can't seem to figure out."

Crona turned her eyes away from the guard. "Certo has no where to go. He lost his entire family to the apes. I lost my mom and best friend to them when I was just a hatchling myself." She looked up at Cytros again, her glossy eyes shimmering in the late afternoon sun. "That's why I understand Certo so much."

"Because he's felt the same pain of loss?" Cytros asked and Crona nodded. "He's a lucky male."

"I don't like him like that!" Crona snapped, her cheeks burning brighter than ever. "What is it with everyone thinking that? I'm just trying to be a friend!"

"That's usually how it starts, Crona." Cytros snickered, amused at her embarrassment. "I've already seen it in my little girl."

"You have a daughter?" Crona raised a brow in surprise.

The fire guard nodded. "I do. In fact I believe you two already know each other."

"Really? Who?" Crona asked curiously.

"You had the same class with my little Vixen."

Crona's jaw dropped. "You're Vixen's father?"

Cytros smiled and nodded proudly. "That I am. I remember her telling me about you when you and Certo first started attending lessons at the academy. I was more concerned with Certo at the time, especially when she claimed that she and her friends were teaching him privately after school."

"Oh, you have no idea," Crona thought to herself, shaking her head.

"But today, I see she was in good company," Cytros continued as he reflected back on those days before the attacks had started. "I'm actually thankful Certo is strong enough and smart enough to protect the innocents around him."

Crona smiled to herself. "He does try."

Certo paced anxiously about the chamber. Upon his arrival at the library, Verona had quickly ushered him to one of the back rooms where only librarians were allowed. He was given strict orders to remain there should anyone unwelcome wonder into the library. Crona was taking longer than he had expected just to find Cytros. The black dragon had half a mind to storm out and join up with her but each time he got the nerve to leave, he would hear the raucous of the panicked city outside and restrain himself.

When the white dragoness finally showed up, Certo was nearing the limit of his patience. He could hear her voice as well at the captains' in the front chamber as well as Stratus and Verona's. The four of them entered the back room where Certo stood anxiously. Crona had to stifle an amused chuckle seeing him standing so stiff-legged, waiting for her.

"Been waiting long?" She teased.

Certo glared at her with a sarcastic smile. "Not really. I didn't have anything better to do anyways."

"Good. Because we need to come up with a plan here." Crona sneered back and her expression hardened.

Certo noticed the look in her eyes and flexed his claws. "Something happened, didn't it?"

"You might say that." Cytros bobbed his head. "Or to be more accurate, nothing happened."

Certo looked at the fire guard with a perplexed stare and Crona spoke up again. "There's rumor that you've returned to the city, bringing the apes along with you. Apparently the other guardians would have everyone else believe you are to blame for this."

"Typical." Certo growled, his bad eye sparking with energy. "So what do you suggest we do about it?"

"The wise thing to do about it would be to ignore it." Crona sighed, as much as she personally wished to thrash the guardians, and teach them a lesson in humility and humiliation.

"Ignore them?" Certo's brows jumped. "How can I ignore them when they're spreading lies like that?"

"You did earlier today," Crona pointed out.

"Crona is right," Stratus agreed, stepping into the conversation. "If you try and retaliate against the guardians, you will only be supporting what their words have instilled in the minds of the other dragons."

"They're really laying it on thick if you ask me." Verona hissed. "If only there were a way to prove Certo's innocence."

"The only way to do that would be to get Certo and Neros in the same vicinity with each other," Crona mused. "Though I doubt that would be of any exceptional help."

"I would have to agree." Cytros nodded. "Seeing that Certo has a brother who has sided with the apes will only cause more of the other dragons to side with the guardians."

"What we need to think about is how to get more supporters," Crona thought out loud. "If the other dragons see that Certo is not the problem here and that the apes pose a far greater threat to us, then we can focus on protecting this city better and even spread the word to the outlying dragon cities."

"But who would listen?" Certo asked skeptically. "One mention of a black dragon around here and they're liable to tune out what's being said or go into a panic attack."

"Well for starters, young dragon, you have us," Stratus replied. Certo looked up at him then to Verona and finally to Cytros. The three of them smiled confidently and nodded their agreement with the head librarian.

"My fellow guards are at your command as well." Cytros added. "We have seen you have a good heart."

"And I already said before, I'm with you," Crona pointed out, taking a proud stance before him.

Certo was silent for a moment. "So what's our next course of action?"

Two days passed by quickly for Crona and Certo. The black dragon remained hidden at the library, where no prying eyes might find him. In the meantime, Crona went about organizing a defensive line with Cytros and his guards. The next day after the attack, she began discussing plans for constructing a wall around the lower levels of the city where it was easy for the apes to get in and push past their defenses.

"Remarkable design," One of the earth guards commented out loud when the dragoness showed her design. Crona blushed slightly. It was only a smaller version of the outer walls she had seen at Warfang during the guardian inauguration. Thinking about the great dragon city made her wonder even more about it. If this was just the beginning of the war, then most likely the other dragon cities would be vulnerable. Growing up, Crona was always used to seeing some sort of barrier beyond her home to help protect against invaders.

"Does Warfang have any sort of defenses yet?" She asked, catching the surrounding guards by surprise.

"The great dragon city?" The guards looked to one another, hoping that one of them knew.

"That's what I thought." Crona nodded, seeing their reaction. She handed the plans for the outer wall to the earth dragons and grabbed another blank scroll from her harness. It felt like years since she had used it. The remaining guards watched with wide eyes as the dragoness tapped her chin with the feather brush, thinking deeply. Sensing her hesitation, Cytros disbanded his guards for the time being, giving Crona the privacy she was hoping for.

Once they were gone, the white dragoness released the feather, allowing it to hover before her paw. After giving the tip a quick dip in the ink, the feather began to furiously scratch across the paper. Crona's fierce blue eyes followed along the feather's path, making sure she did not leave out any details. In her mind she could still see the legendary dragon city as she and her father flew on with their western city companions. The outer wall towered over them and even looked out across the vast horizon beyond. Catapults were stationed along the edges of the outer wall that had served to fight off the invading forces of the Dark Master's immense army.

Crona was so deep in her thoughts and memories she did not notice Certo staring at her from across the room. The black dragon walked up in front of her and tilted his head curiously. The floating feather raced across the blank sheet of paper in sharp, rapid jerks. Certo walked around until he was beside Crona and looked more closely at what she was doing. The illustration of the dragon city seemed almost realistic to the black dragon.

"Wow," he whispered. Much to his amazement, Crona did not respond. She continued to instruct the feather to scribble out the blueprints to the defensive wall that would be constructed around the world's largest dragon city. Certo turned back and left the white dragoness to her own devices. Once in the back room, he lay down on a cushion Verona had brought out for him. "That's quite the talent she's got there," He thought to himself, thinking about the feather floating before the white dragoness's paw. The black dragon sighed and closed his eyes before drifting off into a deep sleep.

Another two days passed before Crona had finished the scroll. During that time she had hardly slept or eaten. Amp, Terra, Nitrus and Kia had made repeated visits to the library to check up on her and Certo The black dragon had insisted that the white dragoness be left alone when they would show up while Crona was working. The black dragon made sure none of them saw what she was doing, knowing this ability of Crona's was to be kept secret.

"Things are not looking good right now." Kia sighed sadly as Nitrus helped her along. Her wounds were healing quickly, but it would still be days before she could fly again. "Volcanus is planning on rallying a group of protesters against you."

"We kind of expected that." Certo nodded, trying his best to hide his scorn for the blue guardian.

"But it's not just you," Nitrus spoke up. "He's pulling Crona into this too."

"What!?" Certo's voice thundered throughout the library, startling everyone. In the back room, Crona jumped, dropping her feather. She crept to the edge of the doorway and listened in on Certo's conversation. In the next chamber, Stratus and Verona came up beside the black dragon as well, having heard the cry of outrage from across the library. "They can't do that! She has no part in this!" Crona felt a lump swell up in her throat and a stab in her heart.

"That's not what they believe. Because she has stood up for you so much, they're assuming that both of you are connected to the cause of the recent attack," Nitrus explained.

"That is the most ridiculous thing I've ever heard!" Certo snapped.

"You know what else is?" Crona snapped coming up behind him. The black dragon turned around just as the white dragoness struck him across the face, knocking him to the floor.

"What was that for?" Certo demanded angrily.

"For being such a jerk!"

"What are you talking about?"

"I have no part in this? You think I just do this for no other purpose other than I have nothing better to do? I stand up for you when no one else will! I try and understand you better than anyone else does, because I know what it's like to be alone! I know what the pain of loss feels like and not being able to do anything about it! I promised I'd stand beside you as a friend and you have the gall to say I have no part in your affairs? You are being a total ass right now!"

"Crona, I think you're blowing this way out of-"

"Oh no, I'm not Certo!" The white dragoness snapped, pressing her snout to his. "I'm in this just as much as you are! Like it or not, we're a team here! Not just you and me, but everyone taking your side in this conflict! You can't say I'm not involved and then allow everyone else to take part in this matter. That's extremely hypocritical on your part!"

"But I-"

"Save it!" Crona leaned away and clapped a paw over his muzzle. Nitrus and Kia stared at her as she walked past them towards the main entrance. "Come on, we have some other guardians to talk to." The air and ice guardian glanced back at Certo who stood dumbstruck as he watched the white dragoness exit the building. Nitrus and Kia left the library, and Stratus and Verona came out of the back room.

"You know, she has a point," Verona pointed out, walking up beside Certo.

"I didn't mean it like that," Certo muttered, staring down at his paws. "She's making one little sentence into such a big deal. It's uncalled for."

"She knows that." Stratus nodded. "She's trying to get you to see that you're not alone in this world anymore. You have friends and others who care about you."

"Then why did she have to-"

"Because you don't think or act like you have anyone but yourself," Stratus interrupted. "You do things for others but you don't let others do for you. It's got to go both ways, young dragon. Our world is all about balance." Certo stared at the librarians for a long time in silence. The only arguments he could come up with were the same ones he had used up until now. There was no way he could rebut their point with his lame excuses any longer.

Seeing that he had made his point clear, Stratus smiled and patted Certo on the head. "You wait here for us. We're going to see if we cannot help make this situation better for you."

"Thank you," Certo murmured. "And thank Crona for me too."

"You'd be better off telling her that yourself," Verona replied as she walked by. Certo looked up as she shot him a wink over her shoulder. Certo tried to smile but his heart was not in it right now. The librarians left, leaving the library still and quite. Certo's sigh echoed inside the building as he walked back to the private room and lay down to sleep.

"Damn me."

A crowd of dragons gathered in the main plaza outside the council temple. Standing before them were Volcanus, Tectonica and Cryus. The crowd was murmuring amongst themselves as the guardians spoke. Volcanus was doing most of the talking to stir up feelings of contempt within the hearts and minds of his audience.

"You have seen the damages that have been done and you have seen what destruction has been brought upon our fair city," The fire guardian spoke aloud, his voice echoing across the city. "Yet still, this black dragon insists on returning to plague our way of life with death and chaos. I admit that I thought it would be enough to simply banish him without further incident. However, the forces of the outside world continue to return in attempts to bring us down as a society, a community and a species."

"How many must be lost until we are able to rid this city of the disease that has infiltrated our home?" Tectonica roared. Her bright green eyes swept over the crowd of on-lookers. Many faces looked saddened or angry with the losses of loved ones during the attack. Others looked over the scars that now lined their bodies where savage wounds had been inflicted during the initial strike. "You see what we mean. You know what should be done. No, what must be done!"

"And what would that be?" Every head turned to see Crona standing at the edge of the courtyard, her fierce blue eyes locked on Volcanus and Tectonica. "Do you plan to take an innocent life? Murder a fellow dragon in cold blood? Because banishment hasn't stopped Certo from trying to help save you all from the wrath those apes bring."

"You have no right to speak," Tectonica snarled, taking an aggressive step towards the white dragoness. "You side with the very dragon who has brought pain and misery upon us."

"If you're suggesting I've sided with Volcanus then you're highly mistaken." Crona scoffed. "I will be the first to admit that I have not always treated Certo as an equal or even a friend. But the way all of you have treated him and given him the short end of the stick is just downright disgraceful to guardians, let alone to dragons!" The crowd gave a soft gasp. None of them had ever heard of anyone talking to the guardians in such a way.

Tectonica bared her teeth and took another step towards Crona; the young dragoness did not so much as flinch. "You had best watch your tongue, little one, or I shall see to it that you receive just as horrible a punishment as the black menace!"

"Tectonica!" Volcanus snapped and Crona took the chance to speak again.

"This is what you guardians call the dragon way? To punish someone who has done nothing to them but tried to befriend a lost, lonely soul who has nowhere else to go! Stood by someone who has no family or anyone to care for! Would you not do the same for your neighbors? So why should Certo be any different? Just because he's born from a different lifestyle doesn't make him evil! It's the actions of those around us that shape who we are!"

"But you forget, young dragoness," Volcanus said, taking a step in front of Tectonica, who was doing her best to control her temper. "Our very own oracle said that a war would break out when a black dragon infiltrated the city to rid our world of sin." The fire guardian turned his eyes to the crowd. "Surely no one here has forgotten that." The city dragons looked at one another; none of them could ever forget the moment when they heard about Certo's discovery at the Silver River several months before.

"And you seem to forget, Volcanus, that there is more than one black dragon in the world! Or are you that arrogant?"

The fire guardian's temper was beginning to rise as well. "Young dragoness-"

"As a matter of fact," Crona continued, ignoring what he was about to say. "You actually witnessed yourself the very dragon that was trying to kill your fellow guardians, Amp and Cryus. And if I recall, it was not Certo."

The city dragons looked at the fire guardian inquisitively. Volcanus ignored the sea of eyes that had suddenly locked onto him. He was not about to let this youngster best him in any argument.

"I admit I did not think it was your friend at first. But upon closer inspection, I realized that despite the color difference, the dragon looked exactly like your friend Certo." He turned to the crowd. "We all know that no two dragons are alike, but I assure you that this dragon was the exact spitting image of the one we all all know, with the only difference being skin coloration. This should leave us to believe that the shadowy menace has a rare ability to change the pigment of his skin in hopes of eluding us."

"You're wrong!" A gruff voice snarled. The dragons turned to see Cytros and several of his guards walking towards them and taking up position beside Crona.

"Captain Cytros. What are you doing here? You should be on patrol with your fellow guards." Volcanus scolded.

"They can handle a little time without me." The fire guard frowned. "I'm here to show my support."

"Ah, I see." Volcanus smiled. "In that case then I welcome you."

"Don't get me wrong Volcanus." Cytros stared hard at the fire guardian. "I'm not here to support what you're doing. I'm here for this young one." He looked down at Crona and a hushed whisper went through the crowd of dragons.

"How dare you!?" Tectonica shouted curiously.

"No, how dare you!?" Cytros shot back. "you guardians are supposed to be the protectors of the realms and dragons everywhere, especially our home city! Ever since that first attack my fellow guardsmen and I have worked hard around the clock, keeping watch over this city and trying to think of ways to keep such an attack from happening again! We have received no support from you whatsoever! No advice! No ideas on how to strengthen our city's defenses! No possible ways to keep invaders out! All the support we've received on how to fight against the apes, and how to protect our home has come from the very dragon you are trying to prosecute and this young female!"

"You cannot seriously expect your fellow dragons to believe such a bold-faced lie now." Volcanus scoffed. "Dragons that age know nothing of the world around them. So how could they possibly have been providing you and your fellow guards such support?"

"Volcanus, if you weren't so busy playing the dictator here, you'd see for yourself how smart these youngsters are," Stratus answered, coming up behind the fire guard. Verona stood beside Cytros and gave him a supportive bump with her shoulder; the fire guard remained focused on the blue guardian. "Certo has been an immense help to this city in ways you cannot imagine. He saved this young female's life when she was given no chance to live. Surely you've heard about that," Volcanus remained silent. He was not liking how many other dragons were showing up to support Crona who stood for Certo's cause. "When he saved this young dragoness' life, that black dragon which everyone holds in such contempt brought back with him a way for us to save more lives in the future. He did not have to, but he chose to give us his gift so others would not have to suffer like Annol's mate did so long ago."

The mention of the late head librarian's name struck a note with the city dragons and another whisper spread through the crowd.

"And what, may I ask, did he do?" Volcanus asked, narrowing his eyes at the elder librarian.

The earth dragon leered back. "All I will say is that he gave future generations hope. If I tell you what he did exactly, then I know you will destroy a very precious treasure. And if you do so, you will be refusing the right to live to all future generations of dragons who suffer from Sputum's disease."

"But there's no cure for that!" A dragon in the crowd exclaimed. "The only known way to fight it is extinct!" The other city dragons nodded in agreement. Volcanus smiled.

"I too believed the same thing at one point." Stratus bobbed his head, in understanding. "But you do not see the proof right before you." He looked down at Crona who was standing tall and proud before her audience. "This young dragoness is alive because of that black dragon and his kind heart. He knew where to find the cure. He begged us to help him save this young female's life and because we helped him, he granted us a gift of a small supply of memorials so no more may suffer from that fatal disease."

Volcanus could see he was losing confidence from his audience. He had one more card to pull, and this was the time to use it. "If that's so, then where is our dear Annol?"

"He's passed on," Stratus replied. "You already know that."

"And where is his body?" Volcanus asked, in almost open mockery.

"He stayed behind when Certo led us to find the cure."

"And why did he not come back? Was he healthy? Injured? What happened? Tell us."

"He chose to stay behind. He wished for that place to be his final resting spot."

"And he may not have had to leave us so soon if it were not for the actions of that black dragon," Volcanus pointed out, turning to his audience. "You see, that just because this dragon has good intentions, does not mean he does not bring about pain and suffering for us all. None of us got to say our final goodbyes to our dear friend Annol because of him. And now we may never even find out where he rests due to this pauper's twisted allegiance."

"You dare not speak of my great-grandfather in that manner!" Stratus bellowed and lunged for Volcanus, but not before Verona and Cytros could restrain him. The crowd of dragons jumped in surprise at the normally collected librarian's outburst.

"You see!" Volcanus turned away from the earth dragon. "The black dragon's very presence plants a violent nature in anyone he comes into contact with as you can plainly see."

"You're only twisting the actions of others to get others to side with you!" Crona shouted, taking a step forward. "You refuse to see the good others do and focus only on the negative aspects of others! Though I could be wrong! You let your half-wit grandson get away with cheating in class, abusing others, bullying the weak and attempting to molest young females!"

"Now who is making that up?" Volcanus glared at the dragoness, seeing that she was bringing his kin into the argument.

"I'm not." Crona shook her head. "Captain Cytros was right there with me when it almost happened again. The first time was when Certo destroyed the school. Your numb-nutted grandson tried pinning me down and having his little buddies hold Certo back so he couldn't help me. You would not have raised a claw to stop him from doing something so morally wrong yet you jump at the first chance to prosecute an innocent dragon who has done nothing but try and help those around him."

"I can most certainly vouch for that." Cytros nodded. "Your grandson would never get away with behaving like that around my daughter." The fire dragon turned his eyes towards the crowd. "I hope I'm not the only father of a little girl who feels the same way." A low growl came from the male dragons. It was a growl in disgust of the headmaster's grandson and the idea of their own daughters being in danger.

Several heads in the crowd turned to look at the blue fire dragon standing in their midst. Titanus looked around as the other dragons spread out away from him, giving him looks of disgust and loathing.

"What are all of you staring at?" He demanded, glowering back at them.

"My grandson is not the one on trial here," Volcanus shouted, trying to draw the audience's attention away.

"Oh no you don't!" Nitrus shouted as he and Kia appeared from behind a pavilion. "I have repeatedly told you before that he needs discipline and repeatedly, you let his behavior go ignored."

"Nitrus. Why is it you're siding with these lowly dragons rather than your fellow guardians?" Volcanus snorted in repulsion to the ice dragon's bold statement. "You of all dragons are the most affected by the black dragon's presence."

"Normally I would have sided with you." Nitrus growled, standing between Volcanus and the the other dragons. "And you are right, I am the most affected by Certo being here because it directly involves my daughters. But I have had to learn the hard way that I can't hold him responsible for something he had no information about."

"You treated him with scorn and contempt while others have taken the time to give him a chance. I took Certo in when no one else would because it was the compassionate thing to do," Kia added.

Tectonica's eyes grew wide and she stepped towards her fellow female guardian. "You provided shelter to a dragon who was supposed to be banished?"

"I did!" Kia spat. "You want to make something of it? You were the one who forced Certo to fight and destroy our school in the first place!"

"You no proof!" Tectonica snapped back.

"Oh, don't I?" Kia looked at the crowd of dragons. "How many of my former students were there when you called Certo to fight Titanus? Each one of them will say that you clearly called him into the ring to exploit him in a way that you hoped would get rid of him!"

"Yeah!" A small voice came from the audience. Everyone turned as a couple young dragons pushed their way through the crowd. Standing before them were Vixen, Katana and Ulu. Vixen smiled at her father and gave him a wink; Cytros only bobbed his head slightly in response.

"Certo was fighting fairly," Ulu explained. "Titanus was the one cheating. Certo didn't even lay a single scale on him." The other girls nodded in agreement.

"That's right!" Amp's voice suddenly came over the crowd. The lightning guardian and his mate moved through the audience until they were standing beside Nitrus and Kia. "I got sent home because I called Titanus out on it and that Tectonica was not doing her job as guardian to discipline him for not abiding by the rules! We guardians are supposed to be treating every dragon as equals. Not lesser beings as Tectonica and Volcanus have clearly displayed."

"Why, you little glow worm!" Titanus bellowed, shoving his way through the crowd of dragons. "All of you need to shut up this instant!" Amp turned as the blue fire-breather came down on top of him. All at once, Crona struck him in the jaw with her paw, knocking him several feet away. The blue dragon yelped in surprise and hit the ground hard. He looked up to see Crona standing before him with an angry glare on her face. "What was that for, babe?" Crona's lip curled and she brought her face close to his.

"Listen here, and listen good Titanus. I am not your girlfriend and I never will be. You will never change and you will never be happy. If I catch you picking on another creature who can't defend themselves, I promise there will be no end to the power I will rain down on top of that bloated head of yours." The dragoness pulled away and narrowed her eyes at him. "And don't ever call me babe." With that she turned and swatted him across the nose with her tail spade before joining the rest of the protestors.

"Master Kia, it pains me to say this," Volcanus started, ignoring Crona's remark towards his grandson. "But seeing as you've been helping an enemy of the state, I have no choice but to strip you of your rank as guardian."

"What!" The young dragon's exclaimed, their jaws falling open in shock.

"I don't care." Kia shrugged, not in the least surprised by the fire guardian's words.

"I could do worse," Volcanus pointed out. "I could have you banished or even prosecuted as well."

"You know, Volcanus, being the master of air, all I'm hearing is air. I've frankly gotten sick of that crap pile you call fairness and equal opportunity."

"Actually, Master Kia," Cytros stepped in. "It's Volcanus and Tectonica who are to be prosecuted."

"What!?" The two dragons gasped in outrage.

"That's right." Cytros leered at them. "You have repeatedly endangered our city by not treating a possible threat as Certo was once perceived as an equal and now because of your actions, Master Oracle's prophecy has come to fruition. And now it is up to us, dragons who care about the future, to mold it in a way that benefits all creatures. So it will be you two who are stripped of your titles as guardians."

Crona looked at Volcanus with a superior smirk. "Looks like you have a mutiny on your hands."

The fire guardian was silent for a moment but then leered at Cytros. "Captain, you forget your place. Your duty is to protect this city and keep its inhabitants out of harm's way."

"And that is exactly what he's doing," Crona said. "If you weren't so narrow minded, you'd see that the dangers are already here and you're not doing a bloody thing to help. You're focusing on something that does not need focusing on and ignoring the more immediate threat to our survival as a species."

"You know nothing of how this world works!" Tectonica bellowed. Without warning, she lurched forward, striking Crona across the cheek with a heavy paw. The young dragoness never saw the hit coming and the blow stunned her. "One such as yourself could never understand how this world works."

Crona glared at the earth dragoness as Terra, Vixen, and Katana helped her up off the ground. "I have experienced far more than you could ever imagine. But I've mentioned that repeatedly with you yet you refused to listen."

"Well, we feel we know what is best for our kind," Tectonica boasted loudly.

"Guardians are elected by those around them," Crona corrected, rubbing her sore jaw. "Therefore they can also be recalled if they prove to be lacking in their duties."

"Then we shall let the city choose its side," Volcanus said and turned to the crowd. "If they see things our way, then they shall side with us. And those who do not may side with you."

"Well, that's an easy choice to make," Terra scoffed and moved closer to her father.

"I'm with Terra." Vixen nodded, standing beside her own father. "This whole thing stinks."

"I agree." Ulu spat on the ground and stood beside her friend. Katana moved closer to Crona and stood firm. Katana's parents stared at their daughter for a long time before glancing at Crona, then to the guardians. After another moment of hesitation they moved to side with their daughter along with Ulu's family. They too had not liked the idea of their daughters being around the black dragon, but they cared even more for their offspring's futures and well-being far more than any prophecy.

One by one, each of Terra and Amp's classmates pushed through the crowd. With each young dragon that took a stand, their friends would join with them. Before long, every young dragon in the city stood allied with Crona, Amp and Terra.

"The young ones know nothing about what they are fighting for," Volcanus remarked. "They do not count as supporters for your supposed cause."

"Every dragon is treated as an equal," Stratus spoke up. "Our young are our future and our race's survival. They are just as much a part of this as their parents are."

Volcanus was about to speak against the earth dragon when another family moved to stand with their son beside Cytros and Vixen. After that a single lightning dragoness stepped forward towards Crona's group.

"My mate is one of your guards," She spoke in almost a whisper. "Voltrus puts his life on the line every night and I worry myself sick hoping that he'll come home safe in the morning. I'll support him in any way I can."

"He's very lucky." Cytros smiled and bowed respectfully to his fellow guard's mate. More females stepped forward. Their mates were also members of the city guard.

"I lost my mate during the first invasion of those filthy apes." An old male ice dragon said, catching Crona's attention. "I don't know if I can go along with your plan if it means others are going to perish."

The white dragoness stepped forward and moved so she was standing directly before the old dragon. "I lost my mother and best friends to the apes when I was just a hatchling. I saw it right before my very eyes. But that's also why I'm here right now. Today. I believe in that thick-headed cretin Certo. I fight alongside him because I want to help protect others from the same fate as my mother and Arcadia." Crona gazed into the elder's foggy eyes. "I'm well aware that even my own life may be lost in all this mess. But if it helps others... I can't complain."

The elder stared hard at the white dragoness. The sincerity in her eyes almost seemed to consume him. Before he knew it, he was standing alongside her, looking back at his fellow dragons who had lived in this city as long as he had.

Off to the side, Volcanus and Tectonica watched in utter astonishment as more and more dragons moved to side with Crona. Before long, only a small handful of dragons remained on their side. Among them stood Sabre and her family. Crona's eyes locked on hers and the ice dragoness had to look away.

"Come on Sabre," she whispered to herself. "If you care about Certo as much as you say, then you should already be over here."

As if hearing her words, Sabre looked up at her friends. She could see what Crona was saying in her fierce blue eyes. She should have been the first one over there, but here she was standing with her parents. The ice dragoness shook her head of all doubt and stepped forward. A heavy paw came down hard on her. Sabre looked back at her father who glared at her, shaking his head.

"You are not going to side with that creature," He growled.

"I am!" Sabre shouted suddenly. "I like Certo! I like him to point where I may even love him! Now let me go!"

"You are my daughter! I will not have you throw your life away for some boy, much less a black dragon!"

"He's not some boy!" Vixen protested. "We all like Certo! And you can't stop her or any of us from liking him!"

"Vixen, that's enough." Cytros scolded.

"But Daddy!" The fire dragoness looked up at her father with a hurtful expression. Cytros only shook his head and looked back at the family. Among them was Cryus. The guardian of water did his best to avoid eye contact with Crona. The dragoness noticed and put a halt on the flow of time in order to walk over to him. Crona put a paw on his shoulder and immediately Cryus jumped.

"What? What's going on? What happened?" He looked around to see the dragons frozen in time. Only he and Crona seemed to be unaffected.

Crona ignored his question. "Cryus, why aren't you siding with us?"

The water guardian looked at her as if it were the first time he had noticed her. "C-Crona? What... what's going on? What happened to everyone?"

"I'm not answering anything for you until you answer me first," Crona demanded. "Why aren't you helping us?"

The blue dragon turned to face her, giving the dragoness a clear look at the scar that covered his right eye. "You tell me! I have a permanent mark now because of what that dragon did! I want nothing to do with him! And I'm surprised even more that you're rallying the entire city to help him."

Crona shook her head. "Whoa, wait. Are we talking about the same dragon here? Because if I remember correctly, Neros gave you that wound. Certo had nothing to do with it. He was trying to protect the city."

"That's what he'd have you believe!" Cryus snapped. "Did you even see him?"

"I was with him when he was fighting!" Crona shot back.

Cryus's eyes widened when he heard that. "And what were you two doing?"

"Fighting to protect the city! What more do you want to know?"

"I want to know why you've sided with him when everywhere he goes he brings violence and mayhem!"

"He does not!" Crona shouted and struck Cryus across the face. The sudden loss of contact froze the water dragon in time before Crona walked over and unfroze him again.

"Ow!" Cryus clutched at his cheek before turning to see Crona on his opposite side.

"Certo tries his damned hardest to keep the apes from killing any more innocent dragons, but you all fail to see that! Why is it so hard?"

"Because we judge by what we see!" Cryus pointed out.

"More like what you see and how it ties into your personal beliefs."

"Look Crona," Cryus sighed, his sudden change of tone taking on a sincere note. "I... I like you. I really like you a lot. But... I... I can't support this choice you're making."

"Then don't support me," Crona protested. "But as a guardian you have a duty to support your home and everyone around you who wants to live for a better future."

"I am!" Cryus shouted. "Why can't you see it and support us?"

Crona sighed. "Because the road you're going down is the wrong one. And I don't want to see you hurt because of it." She started to turn away but Cryus stopped her.

"Hey, you said you'd tell me what was going on!" He demanded, looking her in the eye.

"Isn't it obvious?" Crona asked. She removed her paw from his shoulder, freezing him once more. In the blink of an eye the white dragoness was gone before his eyes. Cryus blinked several times before turning to see her standing in the same spot she had been before. The white dragoness looked at him with a saddened expression but did not stare for long.

Cytros turned to Volcanus.

"I think we have majority rule here," He spoke calmly. "You and Tectonica are relieved of you titles and duties as guardians."

Before anyone else could utter a word, a sonic roar sounded across the city. Every head turned towards the source.

"Uh oh," Crona thought to herself. "Certo."

Neros crouched low in the underbrush beyond the city boundaries. All around him were dozens or heavily armored apes, all covered in thick boney armor and jagged weapons strapped to their belts and body straps. The city seemed rather quiet for being in the middle of the day.

The albino dragon glanced at the ape beside him and jerked his head towards the city. the baboon turned to his comrades and gave a low growl, instructing them to follow close but stay hidden. As the apes began to move in towards the city, Neros found himself eying the cityscape. The city had been built at the edge of the forest, manually excavated as the years had gone on to make room for more residents. The city continued up the hill until it came to be a small mountain overlooking the valley beyond. Neros's ruby eyes moved upwards towards the remains of the academy. It was clear there had been many large structures there at one point, but had recently been demolished.

The young dragon slipped through the forest until he came to a clearing where he had enough room to take to the air. Skimming low over the tress, Neros proceeded towards the upper most part of the city. The tops of the pines gave him ample cover from anyone who may have been watching. By now he had learned of the guard established within the city and he was not wanting to take the chance of being spotted and the alarm being sounded before he could find his twin.

He made it to the academy grounds with ease and circled over the ruins for a couple minutes, taking in the landscape. Down below he could hear the muffled commotion of the city dragons gather around the city center.

"Fools won't know what hit them," Neros snorted. He glided down to the courtyard and landed silently on the stone. Down at the library, Certo's eyes snapped wide open as he felt his brother's presence. The black dragon's head shot up off the cushion as he looked around and listened. There was no sound inside the library except the growl resonating in his throat.

Certo got to his feet and headed for the front entrance. After letting his eyes adjust to the light he turned towards the street and began flying up towards the academy. As soon as he reached the demolished school he spotted him on the ground.

"Neros!" Certo lunged for his brother. Neros leaped to the side and turned to face Certo with a big grin on his face.

"Easy there brother. You're getting worked up over nothing."

"I'll show you nothing!" Certo lunged for him again only to get struck across the face with the flat of Neros's tail blade. Certo hit the ground, dazed by the hit. He should have seen it coming. His mind and body were not fully awake yet.

"Oh, come on Certo!" Neros scoffed as he watched his brother pick himself off the ground. "You can do better than that!"

Certo took in a few few quick breaths, bringing himself to his senses. "You're going to regret saying that." Without warning his head snapped forward. A thunderous roar burst from his throat, catching his brother off guard for a split second. Neros opened his jaws to counter the blast of wind with his own, but Certo's were far more powerful; always had been.

Neros was sent rolling backwards and Certo lurched after him. Sensing his brother's movement, Neros twisted to the side, striking Certo again with his tail just before he could lash out with his claws. Certo faltered and Neros regained his footing. Certo was about to go in for another attack when an eerie holler rang in the air.

"Good job Certo," Neros snickered. "You gave the signal at just the right time."

"The signal?" Certo shot his brother a quick glance before looking out at the rest of the city. The holler quickly turned into hoots and howls of excitement as the apes commenced their attack on the dragon city.

Realizing what his brother had intended, Certo turned back with a heated glare. "You bastard! I'm going to kill you!"

"Well don't keep me waiting brother!" Neros laughed. He lowered his body and spread his wings wide as convexity began to billow around him. Certo froze for a moment then suddenly felt a strong pull as the purple energy began to pull him in, threatening to consume him. Neros's voice rose to an earth-shaking roar and he charged his brother.

The city guard raised the alarm as the apes began to scramble up and over the makeshift barrier the earth dragons had established around the city. This temporary wall was intended to only slow down the invaders while the construction for the actual defense perimeter was built. Right now, construction was the least of their worries.

The earth dragons took to the air as the apes forced their way into the city. Just when the apes managed to gather beneath them, the guards dropped to the ground, crushing the invaders beneath their massive paws. Apes barked and howled angrily, turning on the armored guards. This time the dragons were ready. The dragons reared back in unison before slamming their front paws into the ground, sending a wave of earth up from under the barbarians. The apes fell to their knees, scrambling to get back into the fight.

By now more dragons were showing up. Fire breathers took up a defensive stance as the earth dragons took to the air once more. The invaders looked up as the fire-breathers inhaled deeply. A wave of fire burst from the fire dragons mouths and swept across the ground, turning the stone streets orange-hot. The apes lucky enough to get out of the way were left dancing madly as they tried to get away from the blistering heat.

A sudden scream came from the dragons flank. Nitrus and Kia turned to see another group of apes, bearing down on several of the dragons who had followed along with them.

"Get down!" Nitrus shouted as he charged the apes to intercept them. But the dragons were too busy fighting off the savage apes to hear him. One male dragon hit the ground dead, an ape's dagger plunged into his eye. As the ape continued to stab the body, Nitrus rammed the baboon with his horns, bucking it into the air. A sudden cough and an ice spear plunged through the ape's chest. Nitrus turned to see his daughter standing beside him with Amp hobbling up to her.

The young lightning dragon opened his jaws as wide as he could, spraying bolts of lightning out at the oncoming apes. Several fell dead just before reaching him, but one large, scruffy ape managed to knock the lightning dragon to the ground. Amp saw stars as he sat up to get back into the fight. His broken leg throbbed, causing him to cry out in pain. The ape that had knocked him to the ground had pushed through the line of dragons and was trying to make his way into the city.

"Stop him!" Kia shouted as she helped support the main guard. The apes bore down on her only to get knocked backwards in to their comrades by a powerful gust from Kia's lungs. An ice dragon guard turned and coughed once, stabbing the ape in the back with an ice spike. A moment later another ape latched onto his back and drove his blade into his flesh.

An angry cry burst from Crona's throat as she vaulted through the air, slamming the ape across the face with her tail. The ape fell to the ground with Crona on top of him. Before the ape could rise, the dragoness crushed his throat beneath the weight of her paws. Blood spattered from the ape's mouth, getting onto Crona's pure-white scales. She ignored the mess as another hoot went up from the apes.

"There she is!" One of the apes pointed as more scrambled over the wall. "Get her! Grab the white one!"

"Damn it, not again!" Crona cursed to herself as the baboons gathered en masse . She braced herself, poised for another attack. Just as the apes reached her, she stopped time. All around her, the dragons were turning on the apes like parents protecting their young. It was a sight Crona had not seen since she was a hatchling. She struck the legs of the lead apes before jumping back, and releasing her grip on time. The apes in front felt their knees give out and hit the ground, causing the apes in the back to trip and stumble over them.

"Now!" Crona shouted, backing out of the way. Cytros and two other fire-breathers roared and engulfed the apes in flames. Screams of pain filled the city as the apes ran around, flailing their arms wildly trying to put themselves out before falling dead in the streets.

More apes continued to press towards Crona. They ignored the guards and vaulted onto the nearby rooftops, hoping to gain a higher advantage point. Crona spotted them and gritted her teeth.

"Crona, run!" Cytros ordered, pushing her towards the back of the dragons haphazard formation. Crona ducked beneath the larger dragons as several apes leaped towards her. Cytros met them head on and snatched one out of the air, crushing its body in his jaws. Three apes latched onto his neck and began to bite and claw at his armor, trying to tear it away to get at his soft flesh underneath. Crona turned back and tackled the biggest ape, knocking it into the crowd of angry dragons.

One of the apes Cytros was trying to throw off grabbed Crona by the throat. The white dragoness coughed hard as she struggled to free herself. The ape's grip quickly tightened around her larynx, cutting off her air supply. Stars suddenly danced before Crona's eyes. The world around her began to spin and blur as the sounds of the fight around her numbed down to a dull moan.

Just when she thought she would black out, she was dropped to the ground. A cry of pain reached her ears as her vision began to clear.

"Amp, behind you!"

Crona looked around, dazed, to see an ape with a large club narrowly miss crushing in Amp's head. The bone weapon shattered against the ground as Amp clumsily side-stepped on his broken leg. The ape swung again, catching the lightning guardian in the side and knocking him away from the relative safety of the larger dragons.

Seeing the youngster so vulnerable made several of the apes wild with excitement. They broke their attention from Crona and rushed to tear the young guardian apart.

"No!" Crona cried in her mind, as she staggered to her feet. "Not again!" Time slowed and wavered as the dizzy dragoness tried to get control over it. Out of the corner of her eye she spotted Terra and Kris rushing to help their friend, exposing themselves to the enemy. Crona's hold on time cut out as she collapsed to the ground, coughing hard again.

Terra and Kris opened their jaws wide, breathing a cloud of jagged ice particles into the eyes of the attacking apes. The baboons howled in pain, clutching at their faces, hoping the pressure would cause the stinging to subside. Seeing them distracted, Ulu released a powerful bolt of lightning from her position close to her parents, who were trying their best to support the flank. The young dragoness' breath attack hit her intended targets, killing the apes where they stood.

"Get out!" Nitrus bellowed, swinging his claws into the line of apes, sending bodies, weapons and armor flying through the air. By now the apes' numbers were significantly diminished, but the barbarians were not about to give up so easily. The largest of the group thrust his bone sword into the air with a final desperate howl, calling his fellow apes to push forward again. His cry was answered with a holler for vengeance from his brothers in arms, and the apes leaped high onto the building tops.

"If we have to burn our city to the ground to get you out, then so be it!" Cytros turned his head and spewed a fireball at the nearest cluster of apes. The invaders leaped happily out of the way until the blast exploded, sending their rag-dolls flying in heaps of burning flesh. The fire guard turned to fire another fireball as did many of his fellow fire-breathers. The apes leaped high and long, most avoiding the breath attacks from the dragons below. The lead ape that had called for another charge leaped high for Cytros with his blade ready to plunge through the captain's skull.

"Daddy!" Cytros turned to see Vixen jump in front of him and launch a volley of small fireballs from her mouth. The balls of fire spun and sparked before blazing bright against the sky. Blinded by the young dragoness' sparkler attack, the ape covered his eyes from the stinging light. Before he could realize what he had done, the ape was swatted out of the air and slammed against a pavilion wall, leaving a messy blood spatter against the stone.

Cytros looked down at his daughter with an impressed smile. "Where did you learn that trick?"

Vixen blushed. "Just something I came up with on my own."

Cytros chuckled as he knocked away an ape sneaking up on Vixen. "You'll have to teach me that one some time."

A sudden movement caught the captain's attention. He turned his head to see several apes duck down an alley, moving deeper into the city. "Guards! After them! Don't let them get away!"

Several of the armored ice guards sprang into the air, after the escaping apes. One of the guards was brought down when three apes leaped onto his back, stabbing at his wing membranes. A vicious assault from Kia knocked the pesky apes off the guard's back, allowing him to fly on with the rest of his squad-mates, if at a slower pace.

Captain Cytros felt something bump his leg and looked down to see Crona had stumbled into his front leg. The guard lowered himself to the ground as three earth dragons gathered closer to him to provide him some temporary cover.

"Are you alright?" He asked worriedly, looking into the dragoness' eyes. Crona's eyes wavered as she tried to focus on Cytros.

"I... I'll be alright," She breathed. Her throat still hurt from nearly having been choked to death, even if it had not been the ape's intention.

Cytros stared hard at her for a second. "Vixen, I want you to watch after Crona. Make sure she stays safe. If you need help, just yell."

"Got it!" Vixen nodded, taking up a stance in front of Crona.

Cytros smiled and roared as another ape took a chance to lunge at Crona. The fire guard tore the ape's body open with his claws, sending the bloody carcass flopping across the ground. Just as that ape was out of the way, another rushed in. Vixen coughed hard, sending a fireball to explode into the ape's face. The creature yelped once before hitting the ground at her feet.

Crona, still wobbly on her feet, took up the best stance she could. "Thanks for the help, but I've got your back."

"Works for me." Vixen nodded with a smile.

Crona shook off the dizziness and focused on the apes leaping high overhead and latching onto any vulnerable dragons nearby. The fight was not going to end yet.

Certo felt the wind rush out of him as Neros struck him in the side with the ball of his wrist. He rolled across the ground and Neros charged after him. The albino dragon bit down on the back of his neck, pinching his vertebrae before yanking him across the courtyard. The sudden impact with a crumbling wall nearly knocked Certo unconscious. He staggered to his feet, turning his blurry vision towards Neros. As soon as he saw the whites of his eyes, Neros chucked a large rock with his tail blade, hitting Certo square between the eyes. Certo's head rocked back before he fell to the ground.

"Come on, Certo! Get with it already! I came here to see your new power! Now show me!" Neros unleashed a sonic blast, blowing Certo through the wall and bringing the remainder of it to the ground. "Don't tell me my pawns made up such an elaborate lie just to delay their own deaths," He snarled, walking towards him. "I know you know what I'm talking about! The signs were all there. You're not completely clueless like the rest of the family."

"What did you just say?" Certo growled, pushing himself up off the ground. His body ached all over. Every chance he got to attack his brother, Neros had only laughed in his face, side-stepping almost every swipe he took at him. With the power of convexity at his disposal, Neros was proving to be more than a match for Certo. He was faster and stronger than Certo now and he knew it. Yet he still continued to toy with him out if pure spite.

"Oh, I'm sorry," Neros sneered. "Did I break your ears when I hit you too hard?" He opened his jaws and a billowing wave of convexity hit Certo head on. The black dragon screamed in pain as the void energy ripped through his body.

When Certo had stopped tumbling across the ground he lay on his side, gasping for breath, staring out at the world in front of him. The more he tried to breathe, the less the air would come to him. It felt as if his body were shutting down. The sound of his heartbeat rang loud in his ears. The thumping was replaced by the sounds of Neros's footsteps as he walked over to his fallen twin.

Convexity emanated from Neros's body. The wisps of purple energy crackled around him, snapping at the stones on the ground at his feet. He frowned at his twin, who lay on the ground like a dying fish out of water. Neros pressed his claws to his brother's throat and slowly began to press harder.

"If only everyone else were here to see who the real disgrace in the family is. I've become the strongest dragon around and I did it all on my own." He leaned down close to Certo's face, pinning him harder in case he decided to snap up at him. "You had all the best opportunities growing up yet look where it's gotten you. Nowhere. You're just like the dirt under my feet." Neros then curled his lip and spat in Certo's face. "I take it back, you're worse than the dirt. You're even lower filth than those damned apes I promised could have the world once you all are dead. And that says a lot considering I've been living with them for some time now."

"You... were living with them the whole time?" Certo wheezed, looking at Neros out of the corner of his eye.

Neros smiled. "Where do you think I was going? I wasn't going to live close to you and everyone else. Not while those contemptible weaklings you call our family were still around. After I left, I just flew for hours on end before stumbling across those blundering apes. I admit they were rather hostile at first but they quickly learned to show some respect. I had agreed to leave their territory and eventually just lingered at the edge of theirs so I was no longer trespassing. It wasn't until you abandoned me that night when I realized that you were no better than everyone else we lived with."

"I didn't abandon you!" Certo growled, trying to rise from under his brother, but Neros held him fast.

"Spare me the whole tale of how Ebony stopped you. We both know you're ten times better than he is... or should I say, was. Even when you were still young you could best him. So the whole story of him getting the better of you won't fly with me."

"How could you, Neros?" Certo glared up at his twin. He felt sick to his stomach even thinking that the two of them had even shared an egg together. "How could you bring yourself to kill your own family, much less dragons you don't even know?"

"Call it an epiphany if you will. In the ape tribes they treat each other as equals despite their social status. Granted they're all just as greedy as the next, but still. Dragons? We only treat others well if they belong in a particular group. You and I are both black dragons from a family of nothing but black dragons. We all have the same ability to control the wind. But I was the one who mastered it at such a young age, just to get around! I'm the one with the disability of lesser eye sight! I'm the one who has taken the words and actions of everyone while you sat by and did nothing! My own twin! You saw how the family excluded me with everything! You know first hand how sinful dragons can be! We only look after those who fit in with us. Never anyone who's different!"

"That isn't true Neros!" Certo hissed between clenched teeth. "That's just an illusion you've created for yourself!"

"Is it?" Neros demanded, digging his claws into his brother's neck. "How has it been for you here, hm? Has it been all sunshine and rainbows? I seriously doubt it." Certo fell silent but continued to leer up at his brother. Neros pulled away and nodded. "That's what I thought. And my proof is right here." Neros looked over his shoulder at the destroyed academy. "I realize what my cronies were telling me was true about your new power. You're so calm and collected, yet all of this..." Neros looked down at Certo with a slight smirk. "It must have taken quite a bit to get to you enough for you to do this much damage. Now this just leaves me one question." Certo held his breath and waited to see what Neros would do next.

As if to answer his question, Neros bit down on Certo's neck and flung him across the gardens. "Why haven't you shown me your power?" He roared as Certo got to his feet. Neros unleashed a powerful blast of convexity, burning a black streak across the gardens. Certo dove out of the way just in the nick of time. Neros roared again, this time emitting a stunning sonic blast. Certo felt the vibrations in the wind around him and his head suddenly began to feel like it was spinning. His bad eye twitched and he fell to the ground clutching at it as the noise reverberated in his head. Neros frowned as he watched his brother succumbing to the intense vertigo caused by the low frequency blast. "If you're not going to fight back, I may as well kill you now rather than waste time. Those apes can't hold off dragons that long."

Certo opened his good eye and glared daggers at Neros. "You monster... you're no brother of mine. You killed our entire family in cold blood. Even our little sister!"

Neros stopped where he was and paused to think. "Well, technically it was the apes who did all the dirty work. No sense in me soiling myself with trash like them."

"You're the whole reason they are dead! The whole reason why everyone in this city hates me! The whole reason so many have died needlessly!" Certo shouted slowly getting to his feet but keeping his bad eye shut. "Every day I walk around with these scars, reminding me of what happened, even though I tried to forget! I blamed myself at first but you've proven to me that I am not to be held responsible for your actions!"

Certo could feel his temper rising again. His teeth ground together and his claws dug into the ground. The air around his body began to sizzle with heat that radiated off his body. Neros could feel the temperature difference in the air and on instinct he took a cautious step backwards.

"You killed them," Certo growled, his voice warping as the energy inside him began to rise to the surface. "You killed them all! It's your fault!" Just then the scars across Certo's body gave a quick flash of energy. Neros's eyes widened as the flashing energy continued faster and faster until his brother's scarred eye opened wide. Brilliant crimson energy billowed from his eye and scars, causing the air temperature to increase dramatically.

"Where in the world did you learn that!?" Neros cringed as he suddenly began to feel himself being pushed away by the crimson light. He dug his claws into the stone to try and secure himself to the ground.

Certo exploded forward with lightning speed. Neros's jaw barely had time to fall open before he felt his brother's forehead connect with his face. The albino flew back through a wall of the academy, bringing the remainder of the building down on top of him. Certo's jaws opened wide and a crimson bolt shot from the back of his throat. The energy bolt hit dead center of the still crumbling rubble, causing the debris to burst into the sky in a cloud of red fire.

A purple orb of energy shot out of the smoke and a moment later, Neros lowered his convexity barrier. When he looked down at the academy gardens, Certo was nowhere to be seen.

The albino turned his head as Certo banked around the plume of smoke and slammed into him with crushing force. Neros saw the world spin out of control as he fell towards the ground. At the last possible second he gave a quick burst of wind to slow himself enough to land on a cushion of air. No sooner had he touched down on the ground than Certo plowed into him again. Neros rolled and bounced across the ground and Certo charged after him. Neros fired a blast of convexity, but Certo's rage empowered him enough to not even give the blast a second glance as it deflected off his hide.

"No way!" Neros exclaimed before springing into the air to avoid a crimson slash from the black dragon. Certo sprang after him, ramming his head into Neros's gut. This time Neros was left gasping for air, giving Certo the chance to strike again. The black dragon's mouth opened wide, and a agonized cry ripped from his lungs. The sonic blast combined with his new energy to cause Neros's skin to burn and his nose and eyes to bleed. A hard blow from Certo's tail caught the stunned albino across the face, knocking him to the hard ground.

Not even giving his brother a chance to recover, Certo rushed in, his claws aiming for Neros's throat. He slashed, narrowly missing his target as Neros jerked his head at the last second. Neros flipped onto his back and kicked Certo in the stomach, vaulting him back into the air. The black dragon tumbled and fired a crimson orb. Neros jumped as the energy ball hit where he had just been and exploded, sending him rolling across the academy grounds.

"What in the world is going on!?" Amp shouted as the mountainside shook from the after shock. Around them, several of the apes lost their footing, falling from the rooftops where they taunted the city dragons.

Crona suddenly sensed a familiar presence in the wind that rushed through the city streets and turned her attention towards the academy. Another pillar of crimson fire burst into the sky; she knew what was going on.

"I have to help Certo!" She shouted and bolted away from Vixen and Cytros.

"Crona, wait!" Cytros shouted but the dragoness was already gone.

"Wait for us!" Terra shouted, sprinting after her with Vixen and Amp trailing along behind them.

Neros slid across the ground before hitting a crumbling wall and coming to a stop. He looked up to see Certo charging for him and fired a blast of convexity. Certo sprang into the air, corkscrewing out of harm's way, engulfing himself in energy. Neros hollered in pain as his twin barreled into him, slamming him through the lower level of the academy. The brothers tumbled over each other before Certo got the upper hand again and kicked hard, sending Neros bouncing across the ground.

Certo beat his wings hard, sending hot gusts of wind to blow up dust across the academy grounds as he hovered overhead. "I'm doing it!" He thought to himself. "I'm winning. I can do this!"

Neros struggled to rise but jerked his head up, firing a beam of pure convexity at Certo. The black dragon rolled away as the beam destroyed what remained of the academy main tower. Down below in the lower levels of the city, the dragons scattered as the debris rained down around them. The apes scrambled to get away. This unlucky enough to make it back to the wall were crushed beneath chunks of stone or crippled trying to get away.

"What in the world is going on up there!?" Cytros shouted as his fellow guards formed up on his position. Another beam of convexity cut across the sky and Certo vaulted away once more.

"Nice shot!" Certo snarled, his bad eye blazing bright. "Too bad your aim still sucks!"

Neros felt his temper flare at that. He could hardly believe that his twin had just tread on that subject with him present. "How dare you!?"

"No, how dare you!?" Certo shot back. "This is for Mom and Dad!" He thrust his head forward, unleashing a beam of pure energy. Neros dodged and stared at the hole that burned through the mountain. Certo immediately fired another blast in his brother's face. The roar that came from his lungs shook the sky until the bright red light faded away. Much to his surprise, Neros remained unscathed from the attack. The albino lowered his barrier of convexity and glared at his twin.

"Don't be smug. You told me once that power is nothing unless you can catch your target."

"You are such a little biter!" Certo growled, his eye blazing brighter than ever.

Neros snickered, seeing he had gotten under his brother's skin. "Come catch me if you dare!" Neros extended his wings to their full length as convexity burst from his body. He beat his wings, sending a gust at Certo and propelling himself away from him.

"Come back here!" Certo fumed. He spread his wings wide as he continued to generate massive amounts of energy before taking off after his twin. Neros shot over the valley with Certo hot on his tail before banking back towards the city.

Down on the ground, Crona came to a dead halt as the two streaks of light shot overhead like a couple of glowing missiles.

"What in the world is that!?" Vixen gasped as she caught up to her, panting for breath. "Is... is that Certo?"

"No way!" Terra gasped as the two dragons cut and zig-zagged across the sky at speeds she never though possible. "No dragon has ever moved that fast before! It's impossible!"

"I think Certo just made it possible," Amp pointed out. His eyes were as wide as saucers.

The two dragon super powers clashed and illuminated the sky in a crimson-violet flash. The shock wave shook the mountainside and rattled the dragons teeth. They watched as Certo and Neros soared out across the valley again, quickly becoming specks in the distance.

"Where are they going?" Terra exclaimed, squinting into the distance.

"Who cares, we're going after them!" Crona shouted and sprang into the air. Vixen immediately followed, leaving Terra to help Amp become airborne.

Up ahead the two brothers banked upwards the clouds. The two streaks of light began spiraling around each other as the two dragons climbed higher and higher. Certo beat his wings harder, gaining on Neros, inch by inch. With each flap of his wings he could feel his power growing as he prepared to unleash a final attack. Just as he was about to catch up to his twin, Neros whirled around with jaws opened wide. A purple flash lit up the sky, blinding the dragons pursuing them.

It took several minutes for the young dragons to finally be able to see properly again. When they looked around, Neros was nowhere to be seen.

"What happened?" Vixen asked, surveying the landscape.

"Certo!" Everyone looked to see Crona staring up at the sky as the black dragon plummeted towards the ground. "He's falling!" Crona flapped hard and took off towards the falling dragon who was still over a mile away from them.

"Crona wait!" Terra and Amp exclaimed.

"She's never going to make it!" Amp shook his head as they chased after her, only a few yards behind. No matter how fast they were, Certo was still falling faster than they could get to him.

The black dragon's limp body fell back to earth, streams of smoke from his scars. The bright crimson energy no longer illuminated his body. Far below, the ground steadily rushed up to meet him drawing closer and faster my the minute.

All of a sudden he was hit from the side and yanked out of his nose dive. "I've got you," Crona whispered as she pulled him closer to get a better hold of him. Certo's skin was hot against her underbelly, making the dragoness slightly uncomfortable holding him. Certo's blue eye opened just a crack as he looked up at her weakly. He stared for a moment before losing consciousness in the dragoness's grip.

Amp, Terra and Vixen paused and blinked several times in confusion. "What just happened here!?" Amp gasped. "This day is turning out to be the weirdest day of my life! What is it with everyone lately?" Behind them, a squad of guards flew to catch up to the youngsters. Up ahead, Crona was turning back carrying the limp black dragon in her arms. The white dragoness was intent of getting him back to the city to recover and did not notice the large amounts of blood streaming from Certo's mouth.

"What's our status?" Cytros asked as he and Voltrus walked through the city. It was only a short while after the apes had retreated. A squad of guards had been sent out to fetch the captain's daughter and her friends who had run off during the skirmish, and now came the task of taking a head count for the number of casualties. After the first attack, Cytros had learned just how hard it was to actually declare his fellow dragons whom he had known and lived with for so long as deceased.

"No where near as bad as last time," Voltrus sighed thankfully. "But then, no life ever being taken is a good thing." He led Cytros to the courtyard in front of the council chambers temple where the rest of his squad waited patiently. "When we got here, the apes had gotten to her parents." Voltrus looked over at a pair of ice dragons laying dead and bleeding on the steps of the temple. Cytros and Voltrus walked over and immediately the fire guard recognized who they were.

"The father was stabbed to death." Voltrus sighed again sadly, gesturing to the dozens of stab wounds along the male's neck and side. "The mother was fortunate not to be too badly wounded at first when we arrived, but when the academy blew... well... you can guess what happened yourself." The female's body lay limp and broken beside her mate, her bones crushed from the large chunks of debris that had rained down across the city.

"And what of the little one?" Cytros asked mournfully.

"Untouched." Voltrus replied. He turned to two other guards who walked over with a young ice dragoness between them. The youngster was trembling like a leaf in the wind, her pale blue scales stained with her parents blood. Cytros stared at her, realizing she was on the verge of battle shock.

The fire guard lowered his head towards his daughter's friend and shook his head. "Sabre... I'm so sorry."

Sabre seemed to respond to her name and turned towards him. "M-Mom...Dad..." She whispered, the strain in her voice clear in the fire dragon's ears.

"I'm so sorry," Cytros repeated, pulling her close into a hug. Sabre remained silent as she stared past Cytros at her dead parents laying before the temple. Her mouth hung open as tears froze up around her eyes before breaking and shattering into thousands of pieces on the ground.


	25. Chapter 25

A sonic roar erupted across the night sky. The creatures of the forest suddenly scattered, fleeing for their lives. High above the tree tops Certo and Neros clashed in the moonlight. The brothers wrestled before springing off each other and banking around for another pass. Certo spiraled through the air, taking in a deep breath before releasing another powerful gust of wind. The albino dragon jerked in surprise, not expecting his twin to attack this early. Neros felt his wings catch the wind and his body being yanked backwards. He ground his teeth at the pulling force against his wings as they threatened to separate from their sockets.

Neros inhaled and blew a counter gust, relieving his wings of tension before flipping himself backwards. With the remainder of Certo's gust, he propelled himself higher into the sky. Behind him he could sense Certo taking pursuit and beat his wings harder, climbing higher and higher, faster and faster. At the height of his climb, Neros turned and roared, sending a shock wave straight down at Certo. Much to the albino's surprise, his twin was far below the effective range of his attack. Certo waited until the verbal thunder had died away and his twin drifted back down to him.

"What was that?" Neros asked curiously. "You didn't even try and follow me."

Certo only shrugged with a slight smirk, his blue eyes glistening in the moonlight. "Wouldn't have done me much good, really. You had the advantage of speed and there was no way I would have caught up to you in time to deliver a decent strike."

"But you're far stronger than me," Neros pointed out. "You could have easily made a strike against me and still come out on top."

Certo shook his head. "Not when you're that far ahead of me. It doesn't do me any good to have more power if I can't catch my opponent."

Neros was silent for a moment then smiled with a chuckle. "Sounds like you've been doing some deep thinking yourself."

Certo snickered lightheartedly. "Well I try and learn from you, too Neros."

The brothers both laughed out loud.

Neros's eyes snapped open. As his vision focused he began to notice the forest beyond the doorway of the apes' hut. The ape villages were built into the tops of the trees overlooking the far reaches of the forest. Beyond the forest, Neros could see the moons resting on the horizon. He narrowed his eyes at them suspiciously. Both were giving off an unnatural, red glow. The sight of them reminded him of the energy his twin had displayed two days before.

The albino hissed irritatedly and a wave of pain swept over him; his entire body ached. With a disgusted snort, the albino put what little energy he had into turning himself away from the entrance to the hut. He did not wish to think about his twin right now; not when it would only infuriate him more than he already was. "I'll make you suffer for this, Certo."

Kryos paced about the central chamber of his home. He never knew what to do with Crona when she had one of her fits. It was something his mate, Ashe had always been able to handle. But then again, Crona had never had her emotional breakdowns like this before her mother died.

The sounds of his little girl crying in her room hurt his ears and stabbed repeatedly at his heart. He knew that Crona's skin color and lack of breath elements defied all that was logical within dragon society, but since she was his daughter he rarely thought twice about it. In his eyes she was just as sweet and perfect as she had ever been, but it was now apparent to him that Crona did not feel the same way.

Slowly and shakily the ice dragon walked to the back room of their home where his little girl lay weeping on her bed of goose-down cushions. With a single wing claw, he parted the curtain that covered her doorway. As he watched her cry he felt a deep sense of personal resentment wash over him. Why had he just ignored her feelings? Why had he not gone out on his own and tried to find someone who was able to help his daughter? If he had not been wallowing in his own personal misery for so long he might have been able to catch the problem much sooner. But how would he be able to find someone to help her?

"Crona? Are you alright dear?"

Crona sat up and turned to look at him. Her eyes were red and puffy even though she had only been crying for a short time. She snorted loudly, wiping her eyes on the soft cushions. "Yes. I think so."

Kryos smiled with a sigh of relief, though why, he had no idea. He just wanted her to be happy. That's all he knew. "I will do my best to help you." He spoke softly to her as he moved to lie down beside her and drape a protective wing over her body. "I want you to come with me to see the council of elders. Perhaps they will allow us to meet with the guardians and we may get this situation worked out. Would that make you feel better?"

Crona gave a small smile as she looked down at her tiny paws. "That would be wonderful, father." She sighed, suddenly exhausted from the outburst of crying and laid her head against his side. The little dragoness closed her eyes and listened to the sounds of her father's breathing. The sound was comforting; soothing. It made her forget all her problems and woes as his warm sides rose and fell with each breath.

Kryos stared at his daughter for a long time as she drifted off to sleep against his side. He was not fully sure she had been convinced about his idea, but the smile on her face was enough to keep his hopes up.

The soft murmur of voices tickled Certo's ear drums. He blinked himself awake and let his eyes look about the chamber; he was back in the library again. With an agonized groan, he lifted his head off his bed of cushions and tried to focus on the voices in the front chamber. To him, everything sounded muffled and the edges of his vision were still blurred.

Certo slowly rose to his feet and was immediately greeted with a rush of vertigo. He locked his limbs to stabilize himself against the swimming feeling in his head before taking a cautious step. As the dizziness began to subside, he continued forward, the voices growing louder with each step. At last he poked his head out of the back room and looked around. In the front room stood Nitrus, Stratus, Verona, Cytros, Kia, and Crona. The group of dragons were grouped around a large, marble table that Certo was certain had not been there previously.

Crona turned her head as Certo let out a sigh, sending a light breeze through the library.

"You're awake!" She exclaimed, catching the attention of the other dragons. The white dragoness walked to meet Certo halfway across the room; he still looked like he was in a daze as he faltered on his legs.

"Crona," Certo whispered as he came close enough to her. "I'm sorry about..."

"Don't worry about it," Crona whispered back, shaking her head. "I overreacted, and I'm sorry." Certo looked at her with surprised, yet still sleepy eyes. The white dragoness smiled warmly and jerked her head back towards the table. "Come on. We've got a lot to talk about."

"How are you feeling, young Certo?" Stratus asked as the two took up a position around the table. On the marble surface were several scrolls, most of which were from Crona's notes and current maps of the dragon city and territories.

"I've been worse." Certo groaned. It was then Certo remembered the attack on the city. "Neros!" His head jerked straight up and he looked about the chamber as if expecting to see his twin there.

"Certo, calm down," Crona ordered. "Neros is gone."

"What?" Certo looked at her with a confused stare.

"You've been unconscious for nearly two days," Nitrus stated quietly.

"Two days? Why didn't anyone wake me?" Certo demanded.

"You were exhausted when Crona brought you back to the city," Stratus explained calmly, trying to get the young dragon to settle down. "We were worried you had sustained more serious injuries because you were bleeding out." Certo glanced at Crona, who only gave him a worried look.

"We thought it may have been from internal injuries," Cytros said. "But when we took you to the healers, they could not find anything that they could treat other than the battle wounds you received." Certo looked himself over. There were no medicinal leaves plastered to his hide that he could see but all he could do was take the fire guard's word for it.

"I can't believe I was out for that long," Certo groaned, resting his head against the cool, marble table.

"I'll go get you some water." Verona stroked his back, being gentle enough not to aggravate him too much, then disappeared into a back room.

"Well, while you were recovering, we have been making considerable improvements to help protect our city from your brother and those stinking apes," Cytros continued. Certo lifted his head to look up at him curiously.

"How many did we lose?" He asked weakly, afraid to hear the answer.

"Don't worry yourself about our losses," Nitrus said, shaking his head.

"Tell me!" Certo snarled, already feeling the despair sweeping over him.

After a moment of silence, Nitrus spoke again. "Nine. Nine dead. Another thirty wounded, most of which are in critical condition."

"Damn you, Neros." Certo shook his head, his teeth grinding furiously.

"Certo, you need to calm down," Crona ordered. "We need to deal with this one step at a time."

Certo looked into her blue eyes; they seemed to be glowing with a strong determination, the likes of which he had never seen in her before.

"Yeah... right. Level head," he gasped. "So what has happened since I've been out?"

"A lot." Crona breathed deep. "We were able to successfully push back the apes with minimal damage to the city."

"It was a trap," Certo growled, staring at his paws.

"A trap?" Crona and Cytros echoed.

"Neros knew I would find him at the academy." Certo lifted his head to look around the table of dragons. "He knows we have a special connection, and he used that to his advantage." The young dragon shook his head in despair. "He knew once I started to fight, the apes would take it as a signal to launch their own attack against the city. And I played right into it."

"Young Certo, you did not know this would come to play out as it did," Stratus pointed out. "You may not realize it but your actions also warned us to the danger that was present."

Certo raised a skeptical brow. "How? I was all the way up at the academy, while you all were..." His voice trailed off for a moment. "Wait, what was it you all were doing?"

"Rallying supporters," Crona replied, almost proudly. "Volcanus and Tectonica were trying to assemble the other dragons against you rather than focusing on the problem at hand which is the apes and Neros."

"Indeed." Nitrus bobbed his head.

"Certo," Kia spoke up. "Crona did a great service to you by putting herself out there in such a way. She was able to convince most of the city's inhabitants to stand by you and fight against the apes."

Certo was silent as he stared at the former air guardian and then to Crona. "You're serious about that." Crona nodded and Certo blinked a few times to make sure he was not dreaming. "I don't believe this," he murmured, placing a paw to his head.

"Well you should," Kia said with a smile. "Believing isn't easy sometimes but when you believe in your friends and that they really are there for you, then you'll be amazed at what can happen."

Certo was still speechless. Crona seemed to notice and gestured towards the front entrance to the library. "Come on. Follow me."

Certo blinked as if waking up from a deep sleep. "What for?"

"You'll see," Crona replied with a smile. "We will be back shortly." She bowed politely to the elders and guardians who nodded their approval. Certo followed Crona with a hesitant air out into the mid-afternoon sun. After letting his eyes adjust to the glare he followed the white dragoness down the hill. All the while she walked out in the open street, not once making an attempt to move towards the cover of the shadows. A couple times she caught the black dragon edging towards the shadows, hoping to find safe cover in the shade and out of the view of the dragons around them.

"Certo, it's alright. I promise." She gave an almost child-like giggle. Certo quickened his pace until he was walking beside her, all the while looking at the other passing dragons who nodded respectfully to them as they passed by.

"What did you do?" Certo asked dumbfounded by what he was experiencing.

Crona smiled to herself. "Just talked. Nothing out of the ordinary."

The black dragon glanced at her out of the corner of his eye. "Somehow I find that hard to swallow."

"Why do you say that?" Crona asked, skeptical about what he was implying.

Certo stopped and Crona turned to face him. "You know why I say that. Don't pretend to be dumb with me."

The white dragoness's eyes narrowed at him. "Are you suggesting I used some underhanded ploy to convince everyone that you are not a threat to anyone? Because if that's the case..."

"Crona, I don't know anything about you!" Certo suddenly exclaimed. "I've never known anything about you. Granted I didn't want to, but... after that attack... where you... you know..." Crona nodded. "I... I just don't know what's going on anymore with you. You're like... I don't know the word for it..."

"Unnatural?" Crona stared up at him with a dismal look on her face. It was like when she was growing up to how the other dragons looked at her.

"Unnatural..." Certo tasted the word on his tongue; it did not sit well with him. If Crona was unnatural then what did that make him? A monster? She had wiped out an entire company of apes in a single blast of magic energy while he had nearly wiped an entire mountain from existence with... what? What was it that made him so destructively powerful? He remembered the fight with Neros and his escape from the apes' base camp. But it felt as if he had dreamt the entire thing; like he had been there but was not himself.

The black dragon's deep thoughts began to wrack his mind so much he started to sway on his feet.

"Are you okay?" Crona asked looking at him worriedly. Certo didn't answer and only fell on his side.

It was a few days before Kryos and Crona were able to see the elders of the western city; Summer Forest as they called it. Kryos knew they would have to wait as was the protocol. It was not uncommon to have to apply for visits with the dragon city councils, but he expected it during this time of war. But then, that's all he had ever known. The war had been going on when he had hatched from his egg nearly sixty-five years ago, with no end in sight. The council elders usually had their hands full with incoming refugees. The war had not quite reached the Valley of Avalar which lay just beyond the bounds of their city, but Kryos could only wonder how long that would last.

Each day, the council would meet at the highest tower in the city, giving them a full view vantage point of the surrounding lands and the city below them. It was rare, but the elders would even have to travel to other parts of the countryside to meet with the dragon elders of other cities for larger, more important gatherings.

Crona had not complained about the wait. She had researched in great detail the workings of the dragon city councils and their political partitions very thoroughly beforehand.

Kryos smiled down at her. She was not like other dragons her age. Where other young dragons had trouble understanding the world around them, Crona seemed to see the world for what it was and understand its ways in far greater depth than most. It often seemed that the more complex the subject matter, the more interested she was in it, and the better she understood its workings. Kryos often wondered how and why this was but did little to pay it much mind as he watched his daughter quickly advance to higher training levels before her fellow peers.

This was also the downside to Crona's personality. Because she advanced so quickly in her studies, she often had trouble understanding the subject matter among her classmates. Things that were considered fun and popular for other dragons came across as dull and uninteresting to her, thus earning her a position amongst the shunned. Her unnatural white skin did little to help the situation.

Despite all of this, Kryos found himself swelling with pride as he stared down at her. She wore her specially made scroll and book harness around her hips with scrolls of personal notes she had taken at the great public library, which they had recently visited. Her crimson scholar cape was tucked into the bottom of her elaborately decorated breast plate, which had been a gift to her from her top instructors. It looked large on her, but it would be something for her to grow into well into her adolescent stage. Kryos could not help but be proud to be her father.

The ice dragon's thoughts were suddenly interrupted by a young messenger dragon who had just descended the stairwell from the council's conference chambers. He nodded to Kryos and Crona, giving them permission to proceed to the meeting. Kryos ushered Crona up the stairs first and followed closely behind her.

With each step the white dragoness took she began feeling the anxiety build up inside her. By the time they reached the top of the stairwell, Crona found herself shaking nervously. Her father bent his head down and gave her a playful nudge on her tail, causing her to jump backward and nearly tumble down the stairs.

"Easy, Crona, dear," He murmured, giving her an encouraging nuzzle. "It'd be a waste of time to go that long way down and back up again.

Crona turned around to see that had she jumped any further, she would have slipped off the top step and tumbled all the way down the stairwell. She swallowed hard, trying to hide the horrified look on her face as her father ushered her towards the open doors of the council chamber.

As they entered the large open room, the elder dragons turned to face them. They had been talking idly amongst themselves out on the balcony, sitting in a semi-circle position. Each elder represented an element of the guardians; fire, ice, earth and lightning. And was the custom, each rested upon a beautifully decorated sofa-like cushion, which rested on a small pedestal with the matching color of the dragon sitting on it. Each cushion allowed them to relax during their sessions and sit comfortably, which Crona could see they had not been doing as they had been waiting for them.

"Please, come have a seat here." The fire elder greeted, his deep voice beckoning them to come forward. "But speak quickly." The old dragon's red scales burned almost crimson in the bright sunlight and dark, blood-red markings lined his body. A dark green, silver-lined robe contrasted against his hide draped over his back, giving him a genuine ancient look to the white dragoness who stared up at him in awe.

Around the male elder sat two females; both earth dragons with gleaming red eyes and an orange cloak similar to their male counterpart. They turned their horned faces to eye Crona curiously, making the youngling feel more uncomfortable than she already was.

Kryos bowed deeply before them before speaking. "Where is the rest of the council?" There were eight pedestals on the large open balcony but the other five had been empty.

The fire dragon, an elder named Bracken, shook his head. "I am afraid they will not be attending this meeting. They are currently on their way to Autumn Plains to present at a most important assembly with many of the elders from the other cities. But I am sure the rest of us will be more than capable at handling whatever problem a common dragon like you might have."

Kryos stiffened, immediately detecting the irritation in the elder's voice and bowed to apologize. "I meant no disrespect Elder Bracken. I was merely asking.

The elder seemed to lighten up at the apology. "Enough, it is forgiven. Now tell us who we have the good graces of meeting today. It is not often we get to see young faces such as yours in these ancient surroundings." He gestured to the old decorations inside the chamber with old stone statues sitting in the corners with hints of dust and mild cobwebs on them.

Kryos straightened up as he prepared to speak. "My name is Kryos, a refugee for six years in this city. I came here to seek shelter from the war after being crippled and relieved from active duty."

"I am sorry to hear that." Bracken bobbed his head sympathetically, looking over the ice dragon's scarred body. The wounds were not deep but were noticeable against his pale blue hide. "Why have you requested to speak with us today, Kryos?"

"I have come because I wish to ask of you a favor on behalf of my daughter."

Bracken squinted and leaned down to get a better view of the tiny dragoness who was shying behind her father. "Come forth, child," He coaxed, his deep voice doing little to convince Crona. "I cannot help what I cannot see." He gave a mild chuckle and gestured with a paw for the white dragoness to come closer. She did as she was told and stepped a few meters in front of her father. A small gasp escaped from Bracken's mouth when he saw her clearly for the first time.

"My, what an enchanting daughter you have, Kryos!" Bracken gasped. The two earth dragoness's smiled now that they were able to see her more clearly. "She is quite unusual, isn't she?" The elder meant no immediate disrespect but Crona could not relax in the face of all this scrutiny. "Tell me your name young one, and let me hear your favor."

Crona looked up at the elder. He definitely made her father look every bit as young as the elder had said. With a deep bow, Crona spoke. "Greetings, sir, my Elder Bracken. My name is Crona." She opted to bow to the trio all at once seeing as she did not wish to appear rude by asking the two females their names. "I seek to ask you where we might locate our guardians."

There was a small pause and Crona held her breath.

Bracken stared keenly at the young dragoness before crossing his paws in front of him. "And what business would such a young dragoness such as you have with our guardians, if I may ask?"

Crona felt her jaws tighten together. She had hoped that he would just answer her question and leave it at that. But now she was beginning to wonder if whether or not this was all a good idea to begin with. For a long moment Crona stared at her feet as she wracked her mind searching for a reasonable explanation.

Bracken seemed to notice and waved a paw dismissively. "Never mind, little one. I am sure you have good reason for wanting to see our guardians." Then his expression grew serious. "However I have grave news that our guardians of Lightning, Earth and Ice have been..." He glanced from Crona to Kryos whose eyes widened in horror at the thought of the elder's next words. "Missing," Bracken finished, allowing Kryos to release a breath. He rose off his seat and walked past them. "Follow me in into the study."

Crona gave the two dragonesses one last quick glance. When they did not move from their seats, she turned and followed closely after her father and the elder Bracken. Whatever the fire breather had planned, he was more than capable of helping them on his own.

Once inside the study, the fire elder lowered his voice and stared hard at Kryos. "What I am about to tell you is not to leave this room. Understood? If others get word of this then it could jeopardize our standing in this war."

"We understand." Kryos nodded. Bracken fixed him with a hard stare before turning to a stack of papers on a table in the center of the room.

"Several days ago we received information from one of our couriers of a sudden increase in morale amongst Malefor's troops. Apparently he has one of our own serving him and leading his forces against us."

Kryos's brows jumped. "A dragon?" He gasped in astonishment.

Bracken nodded. "Our guardians went to investigate. According to the courier, our forces were immediately engaged. For a while it seemed as if the Dark Master's forces would be forced to retreat. But then, from out of nowhere, a raging monster appeared. A black dragoness of whom we have no identification struck with ferocious speed, wiping out many of our brave warriors." Crona's eyes grew wide and her mouth fell open. She was suddenly shaking all over as the memory of her mother's death came rushing back to haunt her. What dragon would possibly consider helping the Dark Master? How could they strike down so many dragons without a second thought? Crona swallowed hard as she felt her throat suddenly become dry, and backed away from the two adult dragons towards the door. Bracken noticed and Kryos turned his head to look at his daughter.

"It's all right, Crona," He murmured softly pulling her close to him with his wing. "We won't go if there's danger lurking about. You'll be safe here."

"N-no," Crona whimpered. "I... I want to go... I want to..."

Kryos gave her a calming, gentle shush before turning back to the elder. "So what has become of our guardians?"

Bracken sighed. "I cannot say. Only imagine." According to the courier, Volteer was the first to fall. Shortly after, Cyril was struck down by the same dragoness. If it were not for Terrador, the courier would never have reached us with this information. I would almost be willing to bet that Terrador and Ignitus were either captured or worse."

"I want to," Crona repeated hoarsely. "I want to find our guardians."

"Crona, it's too dangerous," Kryos whispered, trying to calm her down. "We'll have to wait until we hear back from them in order to see them."

"But father, I..."

"If I may interrupt," Bracken spoke up. He had brought a small map over to them and Kryos looked at it curiously. "I cannot say whether or not there were any survivors of the attack. But if there were then they most likely would have retreated to the mushroom forest just north of where they were. It would have been quite a journey but if there are any survivors that can tell you the fate of our guardians, I am certain they may have taken refuge at the abandoned temple there. It will be a long journey but the destination will be much safer than if you travel to the battleground itself." Bracken rolled the scroll up delicately and handed it to Kryos. "You must pardon my brashness but we have other matters to attend to. Take this map if you should so choose to venture forth and search for what ever it is you seek." He glanced down at Crona whose eyes were fixed on the map. "I wish you both well and safe passage if you do decide to make the journey."

"Thank you very much." Kryos bowed graciously with Crona following in unison. "Your kindness will not have gone to waste."

"Always glad to hear." Bracken nodded leading the two to the exit. "May the ancients guide your way and watch over you."

When the black dragon finally came to, he was back at the library. He felt warm. As he opened his eyes, he saw Crona lying next to him on his bed. The white dragoness was fast asleep herself. The lanterns in the library had been lit and cast a warm glow about the chamber. A single blanket was draped over the two dragons, keeping them both warm against the cool night breeze that drifted in from the windows above.

Certo slowly got to his feet, being extremely careful not to wake the white dragoness. After removing himself from the blanket, he tucked her back in, making sure she would be warm enough. Crona cooed softly in her slumber and rustled her wings slightly but did not wake. The black dragon slipped out of the chamber, silently padding across the library's marble floor to the front entrance.

Outside, the cool night air refreshed his lungs. It was already autumn and the weather was changing drastically.

"It's going to be a cold winter," Certo muttered to himself as he walked down the dark streets. The moons rose high and cast a faint carmine glow down on the city. Certo paid no attention to them as he looked about the streets and alleyways. Why were there no guards patrolling about? It was then Certo also noticed the pavilions around him. Every window and entrance was covered by a thick cloth; not something that was usually put up during the previous nights he had been about the city. "What is going on around here?" He muttered aloud.

"Who goes there?" A sudden voice caused the black dragon to jump and whirl around. An earth dragon guard wearing a large helmet with metal plates over his eyes emerged from the darkness of an alleyway. Certo froze, unsure of whether to fight or flee. The earth dragon turned towards the Certo as if he could see through the armor plates that covered his eyes. "Young dragon, you should be indoors."

"I'm just looking for Captain Cytros," Certo explained calmly, not wanting to disturb the guard on his watch.

The earth dragon paused for a moment as he recognized the voice. "Certo?"

"Y-yeah."

"Oh, good to know it's you. The captain and the other guards are indoors this week. Only we earth dragons are on duty."

"What? Why?" Certo raised a skeptical brow. "That doesn't seem like a normal plan to me."

"The captain will explain everything," The guard replied. "Come. I'll escort you to his home." He extended a wing over Certo's head as they walked along. "Whatever you do, don't look at the moons."

"Huh? What's wrong with the moons?"

"Every one-hundred years, our moons go through a phase in which the energy they cast down on us tends to make young dragons act erratically. We call it moon-sight because you have to look directly at the moons to be affected by their energy."

"So if it's young dragons who are affected, then why is it you're wearing the guards over your eyes?"

"It mainly affects young dragons but that doesn't mean other dragons are immune to the effects of moon-sight."

"What happens?"

"Well, I was three when I first discovered the effects of moon-sight. According to what my parents said, I was naturally a curious hatchling. But when I stared up at the moons during that duration of lunar metamorphosis, I became for more curious to the point where it was dangerous. You see, the energy cast down by the moons during this time makes us act on our most powerful whims and emotions, and many times it can be deadly."

Certo suddenly found himself curling his lip at the idea of his brother staring up at the moons. If Neros were to be affected by the energy the moons gave off, then there would be no end to the wrath he'd reign down on the dragon city during that time.

"We should have more guards out in case of attack," Certo growled, trying his best not to look up.

"We already have a majority of the earth dragon guard out at the moment. The other guards will be out in the daytime when the moons cannot affect them in any way."

Certo was tempted to argue but refrained from speaking anymore. He was already going to be stressed out enough because of this and it would do the city no good if the guards were just as agitated.

"We're here." Certo looked ahead to see a rather large pavilion towering before them. The guard tapped on the doorway with his claws. A muffled groan came from inside and Cytros emerged from behind the curtain a moment later. The fire dragon looked like he had been awake for days and this was the first sleep he had gotten since.

"Azurite?" He blinked groggily and tried forcing himself awake. "What is it? Is something wrong?"

"No. Nothing to report yet sir." The earth dragon saluted, clinking his armor in the process. "I just happened to find young Certo outside while he was searching for you."

Cytros looked down at the young dragon curiously at first but then his expression turned serious. "You should be resting. Crona brought you in after you had supposedly passed out after you two had left. She was worried you had suffered some sort of internal injuries, but we found nothing wrong except extreme fatigue."

"Oh," Certo mumbled and stared at his front feet. He suddenly felt bad about leaving the dragoness back at the library. What if she woke to find him missing? Would she freak out and go into a mad panic? Probably. "Well, I guess I'd better get back to her then." He said reluctantly.

"Well you did come out to see me, so if it's quick, I can listen," Cytros replied with a yawn.

"I was just curious how the patrols were going. Azurite mentioned with this new lunar phenomena occurring, you're keeping everyone indoors. But my worry is that this may be a vulnerable time for the city if Neros decides to attack. If he is affected by the moons then he will no doubt strike."

Cytros thought for a moment; it had in fact been something he had not considered a possibility until now. He was in the midst of thinking when smaller footsteps came up behind him.

"What's going on, Daddy?" Vixen yawned as she walked up beside her father. It was then that she noticed Certo standing under the protective cover of Azurite's wing. "Certo, it's you!" She suddenly chirped and rushed over to give him an affectionate nuzzle. The black dragon curled his lip slightly but then remembered Cytros was standing there and restrained himself.

"Vixen, leave Certo alone. He's here on business," Cytros said, picking his daughter up by the tail and pulling her back inside their home.

"But Dad!" Vixen pouted as she was set down on the floor. "I was hoping he could come in for a minute. Maybe he can get Sabre to talk to someone. She hasn't spoken to anyone since..." Vixen's eyes fell upon Certo and he suddenly felt a lump in his throat.

Cytros sighed sadly and turned to look at Certo again. "Sabre lost both her mother and father during the last attack. I've taken her in since she and Vixen are best friends. But she hasn't spoken a word, or touched any food we've offered her since she's moved in."

"Maybe you visiting will lift her spirits a bit," Vixen suggested, a hopeful look in her eyes.

"I guess I can spare the time," Certo thought privately. He looked up at Cytros and gave a slight bob of his head. The fire guard nodded and Vixen led the black dragon into their home.

"Poor Sabre has never been this depressed by anything before," Vixen whispered. "Not even when her parents reprimanded her for being around you."

Certo frowned at the memory, but the scowl quickly faded away. "Losing your entire family is nothing less than devastating," He thought to himself. "I'm not surprised she's like this."

Vixen ducked under the curtain to her room and Certo followed. The fire dragoness walked quietly over to her exceptionally large bed of cushions where Sabre was fast asleep. Vixen nudged her a couple times to rouse her awake. Sabre groaned and opened her eyes.

"Hey Sabre," Vixen whispered. "You have a visitor."

Sabre looked at the curtain blocking the balcony to see it was still dark out; as if to say "At this hour?" The ice dragoness turned to look behind her friend. The shadows seemed to envelope Certo so much that only his eyes stood out from the darkness. Sabre jumped to her feet and took several frightened steps backwards.

"Sabre! It's okay," Vixen coaxed gently, seeing her friend's reaction. "It's just Certo. He's come to see you."

Sabre seemed to settle down slightly but still kept her distance from the black dragon. Vixen looked between the two of them for a moment before heading back towards the door. "I'll give you two some time."

When she was gone, Certo and Sabre only stared at each other. Neither dragon blinked or spoke. Sabre could feel Certo's eyes staring into her. The black dragon was desperately trying to find something to say. However, the words would not come. What could he say that would help ease the pain of losing her family?

"I'm sorry," Certo whispered. It wasn't much but it was all he could say as he stared at his feet in shame.

"You're sorry?" Sabre's voice grabbed his attention. It wasn't so much a whisper but an angry hiss. "It's your fault. It's all your fault."

Certo shook his head. He could feel his heart twisting into a knot even more so than before. "Sabre..."

"Mom and Dad were right. If you hadn't shown up at our city, none of this would have happened." Sabre's eyes began to glow with icy energy in the darkness. The sudden chill caused Certo to rattle his scales. "They're both dead now because of you."

Certo only looked away in shame. He could not bring himself to argue with her. He was the one his brother had come after looking for a fight. It was because of him that the dragons of this city were made to suffer so much.

A sudden force struck him across the face. Certo staggered from Sabre's blow. She had left three small cuts on his cheek but had done little to truly harm him. "I hate you, Certo!" She hissed menacingly, her eyes glowing with white, frosty animosity.

Certo held his breath for a moment as he watched ice particles gather around the room. He could tell Sabre was not her usual self but deep down he could not help but feel partly responsible for the death of her family. He remembered hearing that they had been wounded and crippled by falling debris when the academy had exploded, but now he felt as if he was no longer worthy to look her in the eyes.

"I suppose that's the least I deserve," He murmured.

An angry shriek left Sabre's throat. She lunged for Certo, throwing all her weight into him. The blow caught the older dragon off guard and was enough to knock him to the ground. Sabre pounced on Certo, pressing her full weight into his stomach, making it harder for the black dragon to breathe. Certo began to squirm and throw her off but Sabre was quick to maintain the upper hand. She dropped her body close to Certo's and pressed her front paw against Certo's trachea. The pressure on his throat caused Certo to struggle more and gasp for air. Sabre hissed frost in Certo's face, temporarily blinding him, and dug her talons into his skin. Certo squeezed his eyes shut and grit his teeth, not wanting to strike the young dragoness; but as his head began to spin he realized how serious she was.

The sudden force of Certo's paw striking her chin snapped Sabre's head back. The ice dragoness saw spots as she staggered off of Certo, allowing him the chance he needed to get to his feet.

"Don't fight me, Sabre," Certo suddenly growled. Sabre looked at him to see he had lowered himself into a defensive stance with his wings half-way opened and tail blade sweeping through the air. "I don't want to hurt you."

Sabre's scowl hardened. "You can't hurt me Certo! Not more than you already have!" The ice dragoness coughed hard, and Certo ducked as a jagged ice spear shot over his head. Sabre rushed him and Certo was forced to put her down. As Sabre swung her tail, Certo leaned back out of harms way before lurching forward, ramming Sabre in the side and knocking her across the room. The dragoness hit a table with a loud crash and slumped to the ground. The noise immediately grabbed the attention of the other dragons who came rushing to the back room as Sabre got to her feet.

"What's going on in here?" Cytros demanded. Sabre got to her feet, still glaring daggers at Certo.

"It's your fault they're dead!" She cried, tears freezing up around the rims of her eyes.

"Sabre, get a hold of yourself!" Vixen ordered coming up beside her father. "It wasn't Certo's fault!"

Sabre wailed in anguish and flung herself at the black dragon. Certo grit his teeth and drew in a deep breath. Sabre slashed at him with her talons only to hit nothing but air. Certo had sidestepped her, leaving himself with a clear shot at the blue dragoness. As quick as lightning, Certo lashed out with the ball of his wrist, striking Sabre in the side of the head. The dragoness gave a startled yelp before hitting the floor and laying still.

For a long moment everyone was silent. Vixen was the first to get her bearings and walk over to her friend who lay unconscious on the floor.

"I'm sorry," Certo muttered, barely audible by Cytros and Azurite. "I think it's best I leave." The black dragon turned to the balcony and ducked under the curtain.

"Certo wait!" Cytros called, but the young dragon had already sprung into the air. "Azurite, follow him!"

"Yes, sir!" The earth dragon nodded and hurried past Vixen and out into the nighttime air. After a moment he paused. He could not hear or sense the black dragon anywhere close. Had Certo stuck to the streets the guard could have followed easily. But with his helmet protecting his eyes, he had no way to see through the air. With a sigh of defeat the guard returned to his captain's home pavilion. "I'm sorry captain. He's gone."

Cytros cursed to himself. This was not the night for Certo to be out in the open at night like he usually was. All the fire guard could do was hope for that the young dragon had remembered to keep his eyes down as he flew home.

As Certo beat his wings, he began to feel the depression set in his heart. He locked his stare on the library up the hill and focused on it. He remembered not to look up at the moons, but all the while he began to find himself growing more and more curious by them. As the black dragon turned his head slightly, he could see their crimson glow out of the corner of his eye. Their ominous glow seemed to fill him even more with depression and he gave a low sigh, sending a long, cold gust across the city. As the black dragon came to land in front of the library's main entrance, his blue eye could be seen glowing with moon-sight. But no one would see it as he trudged back to his bed and lay down beside Crona. Seeing the white dragoness so peacefully asleep made him feel better; even if it was only temporary.

When Certo awoke he was all alone. The black dragon groaned slightly as he lifted his eyes to see Crona's spot on his bed empty. Groggily he got to his feet and walked out of the back room. In the front room, Crona, Cytros, Nitrus and Stratus were grouped around the conference table.

Sensing that he was awake, Crona turned to look at Certo as he emerged from the back room. She cocked her head curiously at him as he swaggered over to them.

"Good morning, young Certo," Stratus greeted. "Did you sleep well?"

"I guess," Certo muttered, placing his head against the cool surface of the table.

"Still feeling dizzy?" Crona asked plainly, trying to figure out the black dragon's morning mood. Certo only nodded and released a long sigh. "I suppose sneaking out to see Sabre last night didn't help."

"I didn't sneak out to see Sabre," Certo growled, his mood suddenly turning from depression to agitation. "I was looking for Cytros." He looked up at the fire guard. "How is Sabre?"

The captain bobbed his head slightly and scrunched his lips together. "She's fine. She'll have a bit of a headache for the next couple days, but nothing too ailing." Cytros narrowed his eyes at Certo, staring hard into his eyes. "I don't know what you did or said to get her so worked up, but it may be best if you stay away from her until further notice."

"I understand." Certo nodded, lowering his gaze. He was feeling the depression sweep over him like a heavy blanket.

"But on the other hand, I was not able to respond properly to your concern last night."

"My concern?" Certo tilted his head curiously at the fire dragon.

Cytros narrowed his eyes even more. "Yes. You were mentioning a concern about the city's defenses with the lunar circumstances as they are."

"Oh... right." Certo's eyes fell to the table. Beside him, Crona stared at him inquisitively. His behavior was far beyond anything she had deemed normal for him. She glanced up at Stratus and Nitrus, who noticed her concerned look.

"Well, in answer to your concern, the earth dragons are in charge of the night watch seeing as how they can sense any vibrations through the earth. During the day, the moons' effects are diminished to a lesser degree. So the reserve guards are able to take over until the evening watch."

"I see," Certo muttered, not fully paying attention to the fire dragon's explanation.

Stratus was also noticing the notable change in Certo's attitude at this point. The head librarian walked over to the black dragon and draped a wing around his shoulders as a test. "In the meantime, young dragon, you should rest still. The moons will be this way for the next week and we cannot have you and Crona out and about as you normally would be."

Certo felt himself being ushered towards the back room by the dragon elder and moved alongside him. He could not bring himself to argue with Stratus right now. Under any other circumstances he would have stayed with them at their conference table, but today he felt too emotionally drained to do anything of use.

Stratus stopped and watched as Certo walked over to his bed and flopped down with a loud sigh. After a moment's pause he turned and walked back to the little committee gathered around the table. Crona anxiously waited to hear the old earth dragon speak. She had heard about the lunar phenomena that was going on but did not feel as emotionally affected by it. However, seeing the black dragon's sudden change in personality worried her.

Cytros wore a stern look on his face as Stratus returned to them. "Well?"

"I think he has been affected," The earth dragon murmured in a low voice, should Certo be listening in. "We need to take extra precautions for the next week to make sure we keep his mental state neutral."

"And how would you suggest we do that?" Nitrus spoke up. "There's no known way to counteract the moons' effect on other dragons."

"And Certo being the extremist that he is would make any emotional outburst catastrophic," Crona pointed out.

Stratus looked down at the white dragoness who seemed to be delving into her own deep thoughts. "That's why we're going to be heavily relying on you, Crona, to keep him stable."

"What?" Crona snapped out of her thought trance and stared at him with wide eyes.

"You know and understand Certo the best out of all the dragons in this city. You're smart and quick on your feet. If anything does happen, it may be best if you are there to dissolve the situation."

Crona had to think about the librarian's words. Certo was no easy dragon to talk to, let alone take care of. He was stubborn, narrow-minded and unrelenting in every aspect of his personality. If his mental state drifted beyond his control then she would have a tough time bringing him back no matter what happened.

With an exasperated sigh, the dragoness nodded. "I am not looking forward to this," She thought to herself.

Crona sighed contently as the wind brushed across her body. She had always enjoyed flying. The idea of being able to feel nearly weightless while getting around from place to place at speeds not reachable while on the ground was a great convenience to her. She glanced over at her father to make sure he was still well. Ever since the battle that had claimed her mother's life, her father had been permanently crippled while flying. It always seemed to take more effort than normal for the ice dragon to get off the ground and stay aloft. But when gliding along, as he did now, he was able to enjoy the flight without expending too much energy. Each wing beat combined with the thermals rising from the landscape below them would carry them for nearly a half mile before needing to gain their speed and altitude again.

For days they flew on in almost near silence. All the while Crona took in the sights around and below them. She was amazed at the beauty of the vast meadows and streaming rivers of Avalar, and the freshness of the pine forests and majesty of the snow-capped mountain ranges. Crona could hardly believe that elsewhere in this world, a war raged between dragons and the savage forces of the Dark Master. She had never learned about the origins of the war or how it had even started. But she cared little about how and why and focused mainly on her other studies. No matter who she asked, no one could come up with an answer as far as to how the whole war with the apes had started.

Nearly two weeks into their journey, they finally reached the edges of the mushroom forest. Crona gasped in awe of the towering mushrooms as they rose up higher and higher, the further into the forest they grew. She could hardly believe that there was actually supposed to be a temple amidst this vast, densely packed fungal forest.

All of a sudden Crona jolted in mid-flight and her eyes flashed with white energy. Images flooded Crona's mind as she seemed to unknowingly descend towards the mushroom forest.

"Crona! Where are you going?" Kryos shouted after her. "Crona!" But his little girl did not hear him. The vision in her head beckoned her to cascade straight for the forest below, filled with unknown dangers. It was almost as if the little dragoness did not care about what lay in store for her on the forest floor.

"What's going on?" Crona screamed in her mind as the vision continued to flash before her eyes. She was surrounded by the towering mushrooms, the muddy sticky ground tacking gently around her feet. A sudden movement caught her attention out of the corner of her eye. The white dragoness whirled around and the sound of laughter reached her ears, throwing her off guard. A young dragon ran out of the underbrush, chasing a bright, glowing dragonfly. Crona's jaw dropped when she noticed the color of the dragon's scales; he was purple. The only dragon she knew of to be purple was the Dark Master; but here this youngster seemed to be laughing and frolicking without so much as a care in the world.

Crona could hardly believe what she was seeing. Where were this dragon's parents? He seemed a little too young to be out on his own. Granted that she was not much older than he was, but still, the question lingered in her mind.

Another noise snapped Crona's attention to the canopy overhead and her eyes widened in horror. Several looming apes stared down at the young dragon as he chased after the taunting insect. Crona opened her mouth to scream at him but no sound left her throat. Even more astonishing, he did not seem to notice her or the apes. "Run away!" Crona shouted in her mind, desperately hoping he would hear her. "Run!"

All at once the vision disappeared and Crona's eyes ceased glowing. She blinked herself awake in time to see she was rocketing towards the ground. With a startled shriek she opened her wings, trying to slow down enough. A branch clipped her left wing, sending her into a wild tumble. Crona screamed as the bounced off the mushroom canopies and into the smaller trees below. The sharp twigs and branches scratched at her hide before knocking her into the dense underbrush.

For a long time she didn't move. Pain was all she felt. Her head throbbed from hitting a thick branch on the way down and her limbs were bruised from the initial impact. When Crona was finally able to open her eyes, her world spun into a blurry mess. It took several long minutes for her to get her bearings and orient herself. Once her vision cleared up and adjusted to the darkness of the forest floor, Crona's heart suddenly skipped a beat.

Several yards away in the dense underbrush, dozens of pair of beady eyes stared at her. Crona opened her mouth to cry out but her breath was caught in her throat. She wanted to run, fly, crawl away, anything that would get her away from the monsters staring her down and drawing closer. However, the thick branches and vines that broke her fall also left her in a tangled mess.

Unable to free herself, Crona ground her teeth tightly. She only had one last course of action; fight from where she was. She squeezed her eyes shut and tried to concentrate. She had first discovered this power when some of the other young dragons had pinned her down. They either did this during their combat training, or because of their cruel bullying. When other dragons had their breath attacks to rely on to get out of such situations, Crona had discovered early on that she could somehow manipulate the magic of the world around her. If she concentrated hard enough, she could force the energy away from her, turning it into a propelling force that threw away anything in its path. The only downside was that it put a severe mental strain on her afterwards. But right now that was the last thing on her mind. As the burning headache proceeded to swell inside her, the little dragoness forced herself to concentrate harder.

Three days passed by quickly for Crona. Much to her surprise, and relief, Certo had remained asleep most of the day. The black dragon barely ate during that time and simply moped as he lay on his bed beside the white dragoness. Crona continually did her best to encourage Certo to get up and go look around the library with her as she gathered books to read for when they returned to the back room. Certo only grumbled as he felt like he was being forced to move from his comfort zone and out of his depressive state.

As Crona went about gathering her books, she did make an effort to try and get Certo to read along with her, hoping that by doing so his mood would begin to improve. However, this plan was short-lived. Crona became so deeply immersed in her reading she eventually forgot that Certo was supposed to be reading along with her. Before she knew it, she had already blazed through three pages before Certo could remotely finish the first paragraph of the first page. It wasn't until Certo released an irritated growl that Crona had realized what she was doing.

"Sorry," She apologized with a rather guilty look on her face. "I guess I got a little bit carried away." Certo only glared at her, his tail blade tapping the floor at the edge of his bed. "We can start again if you want so you can catch up."

"Just forget it," Certo grumbled and turned away from her. Crona watched him with a hurt expression as he curled up and tightened his ball, further secluding himself from her. A pang of genuine hurt poked at Crona's heart. Rather than retorting with any sort of comment she sighed and turned back to the pages before her.

"It's just like always," She muttered to herself. Her talons flexed against the fabric of the cushion as she felt the anger and loneliness swell up inside her.

"Crona?" Verona poked her head into the room. "Would you mind sparing a moment?"

"Sure, I can use a break," Crona replied, forcibly trying to avoid looking down at Certo. The black dragon only curled his lip but made no noise.

Verona led the white dragoness out into the middle of the main chamber and lay down beside a stack of scrolls and books. "I was hoping you'd be willing to help me sort through these new documents. Stratus wishes to use your notes for the official archives."

Crona's brows jumped in surprise. "What? M-me? My notes?" She watched as Verona unrolled one of the scrolls. Sure enough it was a copy of the city fortifications she had designed.

The blood rushed to the white dragoness's cheeks and Verona chuckled lightly. "This is okay with you right? If not we can always store them secretly."

"N-no! No!" Crona stammered, looking up from the paper. "It's fine. Absolutely fine."

"Splendid!" Verona chirped. "Let's get to work then shall we?"

"Okay." Crona smiled almost too eagerly, having completely forgotten about Certo at this point. She lay down beside Verona and grabbed the first scroll.

Back in his room, Certo listened to the sounds of the two dragons at work. They sounded almost happy, despite what was going on in the world around them. He could not understand how they could be so relaxed when danger may have been lurking just outside the library, or the city for that matter. The more he thought of it the more confused he became. Crona was a smart dragoness, why was she relaxing when there was work to be done? The idea of lying around made him restless. He began tossing and turning, suddenly becoming very uncomfortable.

After what felt like hours he could no longer take lying around on his bed. Certo rose to his feet and began pacing around the room. His mind was racing with thoughts of what he could do to protect this city. Outside, Verona and Crona were still busily working on documenting Crona's notes; the notes she had designed to protect the city. So why was she not trying to protect this city now? Why was he trying to protect this city? It was not even his home, so what was making him do it? It certainly did not have anything to do with emotional attachments to the dragons who lived here. Or was it?

Certo looked up and blinked. He had unknowingly wandered out of his room and up tot he third level of the library. All around were rows upon rows of books and scrolls, creating a sort of maze of which he had no idea how he had navigated through them. The young dragon sighed and continued to walk about the library, looking for a staircase to return to his room. All this thinking was leaving him exhausted.

"How does Crona do it?" He thought to himself. "She over thinks everything yet she still has energy to get everything else in the world done." The black dragon glanced outside a nearby balcony to see the glow of the moons covering the dragon city in an eerie red light. He remembered Azurite's words and immediately turned away from the night sky, not realizing his left eye was glowing with moon-sight. It would only be another day or so before he and Crona would be allowed to safely leave the library. He could hardly believe it had been almost two weeks already that they had been confined; and even more so that Neros had not launched an attack on the city.

The sudden thought about his brother caused Certo's temper to suddenly flare up out of nowhere. The energy he thought he had lost came flooding back as the effects of the moon-sight overwhelmed his senses. A loud growl rumbled in his throat and echoed through the chambers. Down in the main chamber, Crona's head perked up at the noise.

"Certo?" The white dragoness got to her feet, grabbing Verona's attention.

The black dragon could feel the rage building up inside him. His breathing was becoming louder; more forced, more savage. All he could think about was his twin and how he had tried to kill him. He had tried to kill Crona, Amp and Terra too. Neros had no regard for the lives of other dragons. The thought of such disregard made him furious. A sudden flash caused his bad eye and scars to blaze with crimson energy, blanketing the library interior in deadly light.

"Damn you, Neros!" Certo growled aloud, his voice warping with each pulse of energy. "No one deserves this! You have no right! No right what so ever!"

"Certo," a soft timid voice grabbed the black dragon's attention. He turned his head and Sabre took a cautious step backwards. The sight of the crimson, scarred black dragon was enough to fill her with a fear she had never felt towards him.

For a long hard minute the two stared at each other. "Certo," Sabre spoke, her voice cracking in his ears. Cautiously she stepped forward into the dimly lit library. Certo's bad eye blazed furiously as he eyed the ice dragoness. The more he stared at her the more he realized that her eyes were glowing as well. Not with the white, frosty hate he had seen before but with the faint glow of the full moons. Deep down Certo wanted to say something about it but right now all he could think about was revenge. He glowered at the younger dragoness and started to move around her.

"You shouldn't be out right now, Sabre," He hissed, fixing her with his blue eye. "It's not safe for you."

"I don't care." The blue dragoness shook her head. Certo could see she was crying as she stood before him. "I had to come see you."

"What for?" Certo snarled, bringing his face close to hers. "You want nothing to do with me so why would you go out of your way to find me?"

"I know what I said before," Sabre sniffled. "I feel really bad about it. I didn't mean any of it."

"Sure you didn't." Certo growled and took a step to avoid her, but Sabre stepped in front of him.

"I didn't mean it Certo! I'm sorry I said those hurtful things to you! I was just... just..."

"You needed someone to blame for your parents death!" Certo snapped, his voice echoing throughout the library. "And as always I'm the one who gets the brunt of it! Well I'm not taking it anymore! I'm going to go find the one responsible and put an end to his life this instant!" He shoved Sabre aside and headed for the balcony on which she had snuck in on. The ice dragoness whirled on him and pounced on his back, knocking him to the ground. "Get off of me!" Certo snarled. He squirmed underneath her, and whirled to lash out at the dragoness.

Without warning, Sabre brought her lips crashing down onto his. Certo's eyes widened in shock and his scars burned into the floor. Sabre dug her paws under Certo's back, and pulled herself closer to his chest. "I love you Certo! I'm sorry about what I said before! I didn't mean any of it! I've always loved you and that hasn't changed!"

Certo bared his teeth and snarled loudly. "Get off of me Sabre! Right this instant!"

"What in the ancients name is going on over here?" Verona's voice grabbed the young dragons' attention. They turned as the librarian and Crona appeared around a row of shelves. The white dragoness stopped dead in her tracks when she saw Certo on his back and Sabre on top of him, lying close; too close.

Seeing that she was distracted, Certo squirmed out from under Sabre and shoved her away. In an instant, Crona had traveled across the floor and had pinned Certo to the ground.

"Certo, I need you to listen to me," Crona said sternly, looking him square in the eyes. "You've been affected by the moons' energy. I need for you to calm down and get yourself under control before you do something drastic that you'll regret later."

Certo was surprised at first but then glared hard at her. "I'm at least doing something. You're just sitting around, waiting for Neros to attack again."

Crona was taken aback by the comment but she immediately realized what he was talking about. "Certo, I know that's not the real you who is talking. Now I need you to trust me and settle down. Please."

"You!" Certo and Crona turned their attention as Sabre charged the white dragoness from behind. Crona was struck in the back and slammed up against Certo as Sabre dug her talons into her back. "You're always there! You're always with Certo! What do you care about him? You have no feelings for him, so why should you be the one who understands him more? Why is it he chooses you over me when I can give him all the love he needs?"

"Young dragoness, that is quite enough!" Verona snapped, grabbing Sabre from behind. The ice dragoness hissed and squirmed to get free but Verona held her tight, allowing Crona to get up off the floor. Certo watched as the white dragoness shook her head trying to rid herself of the dizziness that overwhelmed her. "Crona, take Certo back to your room," Verona instructed.

"Alright." Crona nodded. "Come on Certo."

"Uh?" The black dragon seemed to wake up from a trance. The white dragoness smiled gently and jerked her head for him to follow her. "Y-yeah... sure." Certo suddenly felt numb as he followed Crona downstairs, leaving Verona to rough handle a furious Sabre.

"You can't have him!" Sabre screamed. "I love him!"

High above, Kryos was a nervous wreck. He could not understand how Crona had blatantly ignored his calls or why she had even broken away from him in the first place. As the ice dragon circled overhead, hoping to catch sight of her pale skin amongst the darkness of the forest below, he began to fear the worst.

All of a sudden, an ear-shattering boom echoed through the air, and a pillar of dust and rock blew into the air. The ice dragon's heart nearly stopped and his mouth fell open. What in the world could have done that? He dove towards the ground, banking around the towering mushrooms and trees. As he reached ground zero, his eyes widened in shock. All around, the forest was on fire and smoldering. But what caught Kryos's attention, were the numerous body parts scattered about, and blood staining the burned tree trunks and dirt beneath his feet. They belonged to apes.

The icy claws of fear gripped his heart as he realized this forest had been compromised. The Dark Master's forces were already here, one of the last safe havens for dragons. He looked around frantically, searching for any sign of his daughter. The dust was too thick to see very far and he began to fear more enemy troops would be showing up soon to investigate this disturbance.

Kryos's scouting instinct kicked in and he turned to spring into the air. He had to return home and warn the other dragons of what was going on. His daughter would understand. She had to.

As the blue dragon climbed into the sky, he failed to notice the limp body that had been thrown into a dense pile of leaves several yards from the blast site.


	26. Chapter 26

Crona and Certo walked side by side down the stairs of the library to their resting chamber. With all the noise behind them, Certo was becoming increasingly numb to the world around him. He had just gotten so much emotional stimulation that he felt as if his brain had just fused. Crona stared at him out of the corner of her eye as his mouth hung open and his empty gaze locked on the floor.

"Are you feeling okay?" The dragoness asked as she sat down on their bed, waiting for Certo to lay down first. The black dragon was silent for a long time. His expression was blank as if his soul had left his body, leaving only an empty shell of a dragon behind. Crona reached out with a paw and lifted Certo's face so he was now looking her in the eyes. His blue eye was still glowing in the dimly lit chamber, and Crona could see he was still under the moons' effects.

"Certo, I need you to do me a huge favor," Crona continued. The black dragon's eyes wavered slightly; she had his attention. "I need you to wait here until this whole thing passes over. It's not safe for you to be out and about right now."

"I can take care of myself," Certo muttered. His voice had taken a rather emotionless tone. It reminded Crona of when he had first spoken to anyone since waking up after being mauled. In a way it frightened her more than his rage did.

"I'm sure you can." Crona bobbed her head, trying to keep from giving a smug outburst as she normally would have. "But right now I'm trying to be a friend to you and look out for you as well. You may not feel it, or realize it, but you are acting in a way that is very unlike you. Well, at least from what I've gathered from being around you."

Certo blinked at that. It was the first normal gesture he had made in almost two weeks. "I... I am? But..."

"It's okay, I'm not mad at you," Crona whispered, trying to keep him pacified. "I just want you to listen to me. Right now the best thing you can do is sit in this room, relax and try to rest up. This whole lunar ordeal has everyone acting erratically and if we want to make any progress with... our current situation" —she was careful not to mention Neros— "we need to be thinking clearly."

Certo lowered his gaze and stared at the white dragoness's golden breast plate. She was right. She was always right. It made him mad just thinking about it. He curled his lip and a low growl resonated in his throat.

"Certo!" Crona grabbed his attention again. "Listen to what I say. I'm not saying you can't do anything. Just, now is not the best time. I have my own reasons for being here, but I'm also here for yours too."

The noise left Certo's throat as he began to calm down. Crona released a silent sigh of relief as she watched him nestle down into the cushions. As she lay down beside him, a twinge of pain struck her in the back. Certo noticed her wince and raised his head.

"Crona, you're bleeding!" He exclaimed. Small puncture wounds peppered Crona's back where Sabre had dug her talons into the white dragoness. They were not deep but Certo could see they caused her discomfort.

"I'll be alright." Crona forced a smile at him. "I've been through worse."

Certo felt a stab in his heart when she said those words. He got to his feet and moved off the bed. "Wait here, I'll go get Verona to help clean those up.

"Certo, I'm fine," Crona protested. "You don't have to go out of your way for something so little. I don't need to be babied like I'm a hatchling."

"Crona, it's because of me you have those wounds!" Certo exclaimed, his voice growing louder once again.

"Now you listen to me Certo!" Crona snapped suddenly on her feet. "I have just about had it up to here with you blaming yourself for every little negative thing that happens in this city!" She stormed over to him and brought her snout right up to his. "I know personally that there are certain things in this world that you can't control. But if I have to beat it out of you again, just to get you to realize that you can't hold yourself accountable for the actions of others, then by the ancestors, I will!" Certo was dead silent as he stared with wide eyes at the white dragoness. He had not seen such ferocity in her blue eyes since he had run away from the city.

Crona sighed as if releasing a held breath. "Sabre is the one responsible for this. Not you."

"But it's because of..."

"Not! Another...word." Crona hissed placing her paw over Certo's muzzle. "Not your fault. Do I make myself clear?" She narrowed her eyes and dug her talons into his snout to get her point across. Certo winced at the pain and his eyes watered; but he nodded none the less. "Good."

"Will you at least let me take care of you though?" Certo whimpered, hanging his head low and averting his gaze.

"Certo, I said I'd be fine."

"I'm just looking after you." Certo retorted before turning to face her. "If we're in this together, I should do the same."

Crona's cheeks flushed, though she could not explain why. Perhaps it was the thought of Certo considering them a pair that embarrassed her the most. The dragoness shook that thought out of her head. There was no way that would ever happen; they both knew it. Couples like Amp and Terra matched up well but her and Certo? Not even the power of the purple dragons could make that happen. Crona looked the black dragon up and down from head to foot. Despite his scars, she could not find any physical imperfection on him. "He'd never be my type." Crona thought to herself. "Just his personality alone is enough to drive me batty. Though I'm surprised he considers me a friend after all that we've been through. After all that we've said and done to each other."

"Crona?" Certo said for the fourth time. The white dragoness had completely drowned his voice out as she entered her private thoughts. She snapped awake and shook her self, coming back to reality.

"S-sorry," She muttered. "Just got a little lost in thought."

"Is everything okay?" Certo asked, worry weighing thick in his voice.

Crona stared him hard in the eyes. She was curious about the black dragon's thoughts about their mismatched friendship. Were they just acquaintances that could barely call themselves friends? Or could they call themselves friends despite their constant arguing? What was his intake on everyone around them believing they were a couple? All these questions she wanted to ask him.

"Hello? Crona?"

The dragoness blinked again. "I'm fine Certo. Everything is just fine."

Certo paused for a moment, eyeing the dragoness keenly. She certainly did seem to think rather intensely when something was on her mind. "Alright then. You just lay down and I'll be right back." He turned and left the room, leaving Crona alone with her thoughts. Crona sighed and curled back up on the bed, completely forgetting that she had not wanted him to leave in the first place.

Another deep sigh escaped her nostrils as she stared at the decorations on the far wall. She longed to be in her own bed. Her own home. But something was keeping her from trying to return home. But why? Certo had already gained his power. The war with the apes was already under way. What more could there be left to do? Just thinking about these things made Crona realize how exhausted she was. As she closed her eyes she let out one last sigh.

"Certo."

Sabre squirmed against Verona's grasp.

"Let go of me!" She shrieked.

"Young dragoness, I am ordering you to calm yourself right this instant before someone gets hurt!" Verona pinned the young ice dragoness to the floor and Sabre hissed, covering the marble in a thick layer of ice. Verona scowled at her. "You are in a library! Breathing your element is not permitted in here!"

"Too bad!" Sabre snapped. She reared her head back, jabbing Verona in the foot with her horns. The librarian yelped in pain, yanking her hand back on instinct.

Now that she was free from Verona's grasp, Sabre whirled around and shot an ice spike into Verona's other paw. The librarian snarled furiously before losing her balance and falling to the floor. Sabre bolted for the stairwell as fast as her legs could carry her. As she reached the railing she spotted Certo leaving his room down below. The ice dragoness spread her wings and dove off the third level and shot straight for him.

"Certo!" She cried, grabbing his attention. The black dragon looked up in time to get tackled by the younger dragoness. Certo gave a startled cry as the tow of them slid across the sleek marble floor. Sabre wrapped her forelimbs around him as best she could and hugged him close. She could hear his heart racing inside his chest. It was a strong heart beat and the sound made her smile. "I love you, Certo!"

"Sabre!" The blue dragoness turned to see Crona walking out of the back room with a look of disgust on her face. "Knock it off right this instant! This isn't you!"

"Yes it is!" Sabre hissed, sending ice particles into the air. The sudden chill stopped Crona in her tracks but she stood her ground to face the dragoness. Sabre draped her wings over Certo, shielding him from the white dragoness's view. "I love Certo! And there's nothing you can do about it!"

"I know there's nothing I can do about it," Crona retorted. "But right now you're out of control! You're forcing yourself on someone you claim to care for but..." Crona suddenly felt her eyes fall on the black dragon as he stared out at her from under Sabre's wing

"But what? You care nothing for Certo! You've even said so yourself! Therefore you can't have him!"

"I don't want him!" Crona snapped back. "But the way you're treating him isn't the way to win him over! He's not going to love you just because you say you love him! It doesn't work that way!"

"What do you know?" Sabre shot back. "You care nothing for anyone other than yourself! Someone as handsome and perfect as Certo hangs around you all the time and you can't even bring yourself to remotely have feelings for him! Even someone nice like Cryus had taken an interest in you and you even shot him down!"

Crona's cheeks flushed with anger. Where was this dragoness getting these ideas from? "That is none of your business! And even if it was, I have my reasons for not liking Cryus!"

"You're just a cold, heartless worm!" Sabre spat. Crona's head jerked to the side as an ice spike grazed her cheek. She turned to look at the spear as it struck the back wall, giving Sabre the opportunity she needed.

With a hard kick, the ice dragoness sprang off of Certo and vaulted into the air. As Crona turned back around, Sabre's tail struck her across the face, sending her sliding across the marble floor. The blow left her stunned for a moment as she hit a pillar supporting the second level of the library. For being so young, Sabre could sure pack a lot of punch into her attacks.

An angry hiss brought her back to the situation at hand. Crona looked up and froze time, catching Sabre in mid-pounce. The white dragoness groaned and shook the stars and checkers out of her head before betting to her feet and moving out of the way. She let time continue and Sabre squawked in surprise. The blue dragoness hit the wall and crumbled to the floor.

"Sabre, listen to me. It doesn't have to be like this. We're not enemies here."

"You'll always be my enemy as long as you're around Certo," Sabre hissed, turning her eyes on Crona; they were white with icy hate. Blood trickled from her nose and a cut on her forehead; but Sabre barely seemed to feel it. "You don't deserve him."

"Sabre, stop!" Crona shouted as she sidestepped another talon swipe. "I don't care about him like that! You've got it all wrong!"

"Do I?" Sabre fumed and whirled on her again. Crona reared her head back to avoid another swing of Sabre's tail, just missing her by a couple of inches. "You're always around him! You live with him! You share a bed together! You know him better than anyone else, including those who love him! How are you not together? I should be the one in your place! I care for him! Not you!"

Sabre lunged for Crona again only to get struck from the side. The ice dragoness tumbled across the floor and hit a nearby table, knocking off the books on top of it. Sabre looked up and was surprised to see the black dragon standing before her. His eye was glowing again as were his scars. "Certo?" Sabre squeaked almost frightened by his appearance.

"Lay off, Sabre!" Certo growled, his voice warping from the energy sizzling around him. "Don't make me hurt you!"

"But Certo, I love you!" Sabre whimpered, tears freezing up around her eyes.

"Both of you, cease and desist this immediately!" All three dragons turned to see Stratus and Cytros standing across the room. The head librarian had woken up from a deep sleep and had come to hear what all the commotion was about. The fire guard stood at the main entrance, his armor almost glowing in Certo's crimson light. The captain thrust his head forward, launching a sparkler fire ball. The ball exploded in a blinding flash of light, causing Sabre to scream and Certo to snarl angrily. Crona shielded her eyes behind her wing until the glare had died away.

"Captain!" Verona scolded, appearing at the top of the second level stairway. "You are in a library! Stay yourself from using your breath attacks, please!"

"Sorry," Cytros apologized sheepishly. "Don't know what came over me. Just felt like trying out a little trick my daughter taught me."

Verona rolled her eyes as she tried not to chuckle at his comment. "Well, please refrain from doing it again until you're outside."

"Yes ma'am." The fire guard flashed the ice dragoness a wink as she shakily descended the stairs. When she reached the bottom he noticed the blood on her front paw. Immediately he turned to look at Sabre. "Sabre..."

"It's quite alright. It's nothing serious," Verona interrupted him before he could scold the young dragoness. "Let's just be done with this shall we?"

Cytros glanced from her to Sabre and Certo who were busy rubbing their eyes. "Very well." He bobbed his head, acknowledging the librarian's request.

Crona walked over to Certo. His energy had disappeared and he looked like he was acting normal. Certo's eyes watered as he looked her in the eyes. Crona blinked in surprise when she saw his left eye; it was no longer glowing. She quickly turned away from him and walked over to Sabre who looked surprised that Crona would come so close to her after what she had done. The ice dragoness also looked rather nervous when Crona leaned in to look at her eyes; she too was no longer showing any signs of containing lunar energy.

"Captain, I think you eliminated the moon-sight!" Crona exclaimed.

"What? How is that?" Stratus asked, walking over to inspect Sabre as well. He squinted into her eyes and his brows jumped. "By the ancestors, you're right! That sudden flash of light must have counteracted the light from the moons' energy!"

"You're welcome, I think." Cytros smirked, unsure of what to make of the situation.

"Come on. Let's get you home." Stratus said, picking Sabre up in his massive claws. He walked over to Cytros and set her on his back. Crona dashed to the back room and grabbed one of Certo's blankets and brought it out for Stratus to drape over her as protection against the moons' energy on their way home.

"Sorry for the trouble," Cytros apologized with a slight bow. He glanced over his shoulder at Sabre who looked rather ashamed and emotionally wounded.

"I'm sorry," She whimpered, looking around the room of faces.

"All is well again, little one," Verona assured her with an affectionate nuzzle. "No one was seriously hurt so let us count our blessings."

"But..." Sabre choked back a sob as her eyes drifted down to the black dragon. Certo was trying his hardest not to look at her as Crona walked up beside him. "I meant what I said Certo. I do love you."

"I'm sorry you feel that way," Certo muttered. He slowly turned to look her in the eyes and Sabre felt a wave of fear grip her heart as he locked a fierce stare on her. Certo's expressions had always been intense but this was far more than what the young dragoness was used to. "I can't return your feelings."

"Certo..." Sabre whispered, as tears built up around her eyes again.

"I can't stop anyone from calling themselves my friend or even caring about me," Certo continued. "But I don't want anyone to love. Everyone I did love is gone! I can barely handle being an only survivor as it is. I won't put myself in a position to experience that again."

"But Certo, I can..."

"I will never love, or care for anyone ever again," Certo hissed before turning away. He pushed past Crona and disappeared into the back room leaving a dead silence hanging in the air. At last Sabre's sobs reached everyone's ears.

"I think it's best we take our leave," Cytros spoke up, nuzzling the young ice dragoness, knowing it would do little to comfort her.

"Perhaps." Stratus nodded. "Only two more days and hopefully all will return to normal."

"Somehow, I seriously doubt that," Crona thought to herself as she watched the guards walk away with Sabre looking back at her. When they had gone Stratus went about tending to Verona's minor wound, leaving Crona alone in the main chamber.

The white dragoness returned to Certo's bed to see the black dragon curled tightly around himself with his back to the doorway. She could not help but pause for a long time as she stared at him in the flickering torchlight. Had he really meant what he said back there? Was it just to get Sabre off his back or did he really not care about anyone as he said he had? Despite her own losses, Crona could not picture losing her father. He was the only one she had left in this world who was there for her regularly.

"Certo," she whispered softly, hoping her voice would bring him some sort of comfort. She was hesitant to ask her next question but after a moment of thought she spoke. "Do you love Sabre at all?"

Certo was silent for a long time as he stared at the shadows dancing along the wall. "No."

"At all? Even so much as a friend?"

"Crona, can we drop this please?" He growled, curling his tail around himself tighter. "I don't feel like talking any more tonight."

Crona sighed as she stepped onto the bed beside him. "Alright. I understand." She lay down, keeping a couple feet between them, giving him his space. Certo sensed this but said nothing. He didn't care about anyone or anything. He just wanted to put an end to his brother so he could rest in peace.

Certo closed his eyes and let himself sink into the darkness of sleep. Deep down he wished to cry, but in his eyes it would only prove to him his weakness.

"I'll never let anyone get close to me ever again."

Crona's head spun. Dizziness and nausea overwhelmed her as she slowly regained consciousness. She no longer felt the hard ground beneath her but the soft, warm comfort of a pillow cushion. After a long silent moment she cracked her eyelids and waited for her vision to focus.

"What happened back there?" She thought to herself. The last thing she remembered was closing her eyes, trying to concentrate on her magic as the apes closed in on her. There was no way for her to escape as she remembered quite clearly. All she remembered was an ear-shattering explosion then, silence. "Father!" The dragoness exclaimed, jumping to her feet before her vision could clear up. She remembered her father being beside her as she had taken the dive, but where was he now?

A split second later, Crona's legs buckled beneath her and pain rushed through her. A muffled yelp nearly escaped from her mouth and she squeezed her eyes tightly shut, trying to bear the throbbing pain in her body. Her breathing came in short, rapid bursts as she tried concentrating on something other than the pain. Her left wing was badly bruised but the pounding in her head was far more excruciating. "Alright, Crona, calm down," She thought to herself. "Short, steady breaths."

For a long time she lay there, slowing her breathing to the point where she could relax again. The dragoness opened her eyes and looked around for the first time. All around were solid walls of rock; no longer wilderness, bushes and trees. Torches illuminated the chamber, giving the room an eerie atmosphere. The row of torches continued down the hall and Crona soon heard heavy footsteps coming her way. Crona felt her heart skip a beat as fear began to take hold of her again. On instinct she shut her eyes and lay as still as possible as the footsteps drew closer. Before long the being stood over her for a long, silent moment.

"Come on," Crona begged in her mind. "Go away!" But whoever was standing there remained hovering over her. Seeing as the being was not going to be leaving any time soon, Crona swallowed hard, realizing that her act may not have been convincing enough and dared to open her eyes a crack. She looked up at a towering fire dragon who was looking down at her with a warm smile.

"I see you're already awake, young dragoness." His voice was old, but calm and soothing at the same time. His golden orange eyes seemed to smile along with the rest of his facial features as he looked down at her.

"I-I'm up, yes," Crona stammered, struggling to sit up on her belly. The relief that blanketed her was almost overwhelming; to wake up in the presence of a fellow dragon rather than in the clutches of the Dark Master's forces. This dragon must have found her out in the forest and rescued her from those barbaric savages. "Who... who are you?" Crona suddenly felt like a little lost child and quickly averted her eyes as the heat of embarrassment burned upon her white cheeks.

The dragon chuckled, slightly amused by her antics.

"You are safe now young one, there's no need to be afraid. You are in the old dragon temple of the mushroom forest. We are safe from Malefor's forces here. As for my identity, I am the guardian of fire."

Crona's eyes widened in shock. "Ignitus," she spoke in almost an inaudible whisper. The old dragon nodded once, his eyes almost glowing with the wisdom of the ages. This was the dragon she had been seeking all along; there was no mistaking it.

"My name is Crona." Crona struggled to get to her feet again but her body would not respond. All she could do was bow her head in as much of a formal bow as she could. She had to appear as polite as possible, in fear of insulting him unintentionally. "It's an honor to finally meet you, Fire Guardian Ignitus."

Much to her surprise, the guardian of fire only laughed. Ignitus sat on his haunches and looked down at her with pure joy in his eyes. It was like he had hardly been around dragons her age before, which made sense with him being a guardian. "My dear, such a well mannered dragoness you are." He leaned down and gave her a comforting nuzzle against her cheek causing Crona to blush even more. "You need not trouble yourself with such formalities. You may simply call me by Ignitus."

Crona's mouth hung open as the guardian of fire reached over to a discarded blanket resting beside the bed cushion and draped it over her protectively. This guardian was for mellower than the council at her home in the western city. She had heard so many stories about this particular dragon that she was almost certain he would be even tenser than the council members themselves. It was then Crona remembered why she had sought his council to begin with.

"I-Ignitus..." She spoke meekly. "I... I was told to seek you out by the dragon council of my home city."

"Oh?" Ignitus tilted his head, already curious and intrigued by this beautiful white-skinned dragoness before him. Now his interest had deepened even further with this news she brought.

Crona nodded. "I was told that if I found you, you could help answer my questions." Every instinct in Crona's body told her to run and shy away. But being that her body had yet to recover, that was not a possibility at this point. She coughed slightly from suddenly realizing how dry her throat was. Ignitus took note and left for a moment before returning with a large leaf from one of the local trees. The leaf alone was the size of a large platter from where Crona had been raised and its firm, cupped shape helped contain the water that had gathered inside it.

As Crona drank greedily, the cool water quenching her extreme thirst, Ignitus lay down beside the cushion close to her.

"It really depends on what questions you ask, Young Crona." He spoke up, bringing them back to the reason why she had been looking for him in the first place. "I am no oracle, but what I do know about our world, I am more than willing to bestow upon you." He continued to smile as Crona licked the remaining droplets from her muzzle and looked up at him. "So if I may, what questions do you seek an answer to?"

Crona was silent for a long moment. She knew what she wanted to ask, but had completely forgotten to think about how she would phrase it. Her condition was not an easy one to describe, and getting someone who had never experienced such a defective trait would most likely have a hard time understanding themselves. However, Ignitus had already proved to her that he was not a judgmental dragon. So she sucked in a deep breath of magic and spoke.

"This may sound incredibly selfish of me. Not to mention childish... but... I want to know..." She lifted her paw and looked herself over. "Why am I not like the other dragons at home?" Ignitus cocked his head, slightly confused by her question. He could sense there was more to it than just that initial question but he waited for her to continue none the less. "I have no elemental breath like the others do. And I have no color to my skin." Crona shook her head and squeezed her eyes tightly shut. "I sometimes doubt that I can even call myself a dragon when around others!"

Crona could no longer keep her head up. Just spilling her emotions to the guardian reminded her of how inferior she felt; how alone she felt. Deep down she wanted to know the answers but part of her wished she could take back what she had asked.

There was a sudden tap on her chin as Ignitus lifted her eyes to meet his. Crona stared at him in wide-eyed shock as her mouth hung open. "I'm sorry," She squeaked. "I did not mean to appear selfish."

Ignitus only shook his head. "You are not being selfish, Young Crona. It is only natural for us to want to know who we are." His fiery eyes seemed to burn through Crona, reading what she had felt and experienced over the years. It felt, to her, as if he understood the situation far more than she did. "Every creature in this world is important. Every life counts and everyone deserves to know the answer to the question you ask." The fire guardian sighed deeply, withdrawing his claw. Crona noticed the way his brow furrowed as he proceeded to ponder her question. The old dragon rose up to his feet and he made his way to leave the room. "I may need to think about this a little more to be able to help you Crona. In the mean time, you should rest. You have sustained quite a few injuries from whatever happened before I found you in the forest."

Crona perked up at his words. "Ignitus? Do you know where my father is? He was with me but I got lost out there, and I haven't seen him since we got separated."

Ignitus's head snapped back around, surprised to hear that she had not been alone. After a brief moment he shook his head sadly. "I have not seen anyone out there but you. Are you certain he is still in the forest?"

"I..." Crona looked down at her paws. She wanted to be sure, but how could she be? "I have no idea. He could still be looking for me. Or... he may have gone back home for help."

The fire guardian's lips scrunched together as he thought over her words. "Perhaps. In that case I will scout the forest daily to seek him out and explain the situation. In the meantime you wait here and rest up as much as you can."

Crona lay her head back down on her paws, feeling exhaustion sweep over her again. "Thank you, Ignitus." She smiled softly before closing her eyes.

"It's my pleasure, my dear Crona," The elder murmured softly. "Sleep well."

Two days passed by for Certo and Crona at lightning speed. When the day came when the young dragons could finally venture forth from their sheltered homes, everyone was eager to return to their daily lives, even if there was quite a bit of tension lingering in the air.

"Now that the lunar cycle has passed, we can focus even more on strengthening our defenses," Cytros pointed out as Nitrus, Kia, Terra, Amp and the librarians gathered around the conference table. "Thanks to Crona's designs we can begin establishing a protective barrier that can withstand an attack from any direction from any foe."

"In theory," Crona corrected. "Nothing is impervious to attack. They're just... the designs I thought would work best."

"Well these are still very impressive, none the less," Stratus replied, looking over her blue prints. The earth dragons of the city had begun helping the guards construct the base for the perimeter of the city's outer wall. With everyone working together, the progress was going rather quickly and smoothly. "Perhaps one of these days you could become an architect."

Crona blushed. "It's nothing really. Just something I sketched up."

"Continuing on with business," Nitrus interrupted. "We also have other issues besides that of the city's defenses."

"Volcanus and Tectonica." Kia said. "The two of them have been placed under house arrest since the last attack. I'm not sure what else we can do with them at this point."

"They've been stripped of their guardian titles, have they not?" Crona pointed out. "What could they possibly do?"

"The same thing you did to them," Nitrus answered darkly. "Rally supporters little by little and suddenly take back over the city."

"We could have them banished." Amp suggested.

"Ampus!" Terra scolded with a stern glare.

"What? I'm just saying it's a possibility. They tried to have Certo banished, among other things. I'm just suggesting it as the least they deserve so they won't stir up more trouble."

"What do you think, Certo?" Crona asked.

The black dragon sighed and shook his head as he stared down at the table. "I just want to forget about them. They're not worth my time when we have bigger problems. I'd like to just leave them be and not have to worry about them anymore."

"You do realize that they won't let this go unchallenged, right?" Amp said.

"I'm well aware." Certo nodded. "But I'm nothing like them. I don't want to waste my time and energy on something that isn't the main threat. We have to look at the bigger picture here."

"I see some of Crona's wisdom has gotten to you," Stratus said with a subtle smirk. Certo and Crona both blushed and fell silent.

"Very well, then." Nitrus sighed. "Volcanus and Tectonica may be released as long as they do not stir up trouble for us."

Cytros nodded and turned to leave. "I will order the guards to keep a close eye on them, should they venture out."

"Be careful," Verona called after him. Cytros smiled back at her before disappearing into the city.

"So what is next on the day's schedule?" Amp asked curiously, looking about the table.

"We should focus on the source of our problems at this point," Certo spoke in a low tone, a growl resonating in his throat.

"Your brother." Terra shuddered as she remembered her first encounter with the albino dragon. The memory still frightened her more than when she had first met Certo.

"The apes seem to lack any sort of strong leadership unless that dragon is present." Amp pointed out. "He really seems to be the source of the apes' courage and daringness to venture into dragon territory."

"Which is why I need to kill him," Certo hissed. "Kill the snake by cutting its head off."

"Just because you cut off a snake's head doesn't mean it still can't bite, Certo," Crona spoke up. "Just simply removing Neros from the apes won't mean they will just give up their attacks. They may continue to press us even if he is gone."

"Then we'll see once I take his life."

"Young dragon, do you value life so little?" Stratus demanded crossly. He did not like seeing the young male in such a state and disapproved of his attitude tremendously. "Your brother may be doing some horrid acts, but that does not give you the right to behave in such a similar manner."

Certo narrowed his eyes at the head librarian. "I am nothing like Neros."

"That may be true, but you're still brothers," Kia pointed out. "You should still try and reason with him before deciding to extinguish his life."

Certo curled his lip. "How many times must I say it? He won't listen to reason! I know this exactly because I'm his brother! I'm cutting to the chase and avoiding wasting my time with useless attempts at convincing him to change his mind on what he wants to do!"

"That does not give you the right to boast about you going to kill him," Verona added in. "It's not something to be proud of."

"Who says I'm proud of it?"

"Your tone of voice," Crona muttered, causing the black dragon to turn and face her. "You don't like Neros and we get that. We know you want to be the one to face off with him when the time comes but you act as if you're proud to be able to kill your own twin."

"I... I'm not," Certo stammered, looking away in shame. "I... I just... I..."

Crona could sense what he wanted to say. "You're saying it to cover up what you really feel. You don't truly want to kill him, do you?"

"But I have no choice!" Certo exclaimed. "I can't do anything but fight against him every step of the way until one of us is dead!"

"Then you're going to need to learn how to use that power of yours," Crona pointed out, tapping Certo in the chest with a talon.

"Power?" Certo tilted his head curiously.

"The one you exhibit whenever you seem to get upset by something," Crona continued. "I think it's when you're upset or distressed, is when you draw on that red power you used to defend the city against Neros last."

"Speaking of whom," Amp interrupted. "I'm curious as to why he hasn't attacked our city yet. It's been two weeks. You'd think he would launch an attack against us, having possibly been affected by moon sight."

Certo nodded and his expression darkened. "If I was affected then I have little doubt he wouldn't be. And if our strongest emotions are brought to the surface at an even more intense level, then the ancients only know how much wrath he would be bringing our way."

"How do you know he was put under the moons' spell?" Terra asked skeptically. "He may not know anything about it," she turned to Certo. "As far as we know. But that doesn't mean he's not recovering from the fight as well. Certo may have dealt him some serious injuries in their fight and now Neros needs to recover.

"I doubt it," Certo muttered. "But you may be right. Then that also doesn't give us a whole lot of time to prep for his next attack on the city. "

"Then perhaps we should start training you now," Crona suggested, catching the black dragon's eye. "If we're expecting an attack then we want to be as prepared as possible."

"Okay then, how would you suggest we do that?" Certo asked, taking a slightly defensive stand before her. "I'm the one with this power, so how do you intend on teaching me to use it?" Then he narrowed his eyes at the white dragoness. "Unless you know how to use it yourself."

Every head turned on Crona, who only stared hard back at Certo. He was treading on dangerous ground with her and she did not like the idea of him possibly exposing her secret. The young male did not know much about her, but he knew more than the rest of the dragons in the city put together. Just because he did not pry into her history did not mean the others would not.

"I don't even know what that power is called, Certo. And for the record I've never seen it before in all my life. You're the first dragon to exhibit such a power."

"How can that be when..." Certo started but Crona snapped a paw up, quick as lightning, stopping time around her and the black dragon. Certo's eye balls darted from side to side, seeing that the others were frozen. This was the second time Crona had used her main active power when in contact with him.

"Certo," she spoke sternly, but softly so as not to agitate him and keep her own temper in check. The black dragon looked down at her with a perplexed stare. "I know you're trying to make sense of all this, but right now is not the time and with the others here, it is most certainly not the place. So will you do me a huge favor and not bring up what I know any more in front of the others?"

"But you're not afraid to tell them about such things as this war you said has started between us and the apes? That makes no sense to me!"

"I know!" Crona snapped. "But I need you to try and refrain from saying anything more. At least until we're alone. Please."

Certo stared her hard in the eyes as they pleaded with him to cooperate with her. He could see now that what Crona knew, whoever she really was, was far more delicate than anything he had ever realized out in the open.

A distressed sigh escaped from the black dragon's mouth. "Fine."

Crona smiled, thankfully to him. "Thank you, Certo."

"Whatever," he growled, more tired from the verbal persuading than irritated. Crona released her hold on time and Certo stood still, trying to act as if nothing had happened.

"You just have to trust me," Crona spoke as if continuing their conversation from where she had stopped time.

Certo paused but then nodded. Crona smiled and turned back to the others. "May we be excused? I think it's time we try and get our secret weapon tuned up." She gave Certo a quick smirk, hoping he would take humor in the remark. Much to her surprise she saw the faint hint of a smile tug at his cheek; but nothing more.

"We can handle things from here Crona." Cytros nodded. "But I want you two to be careful out there. Especially you, Crona." The white dragoness stared at the captain with a look of unease. "If there is an attack and the apes find you, I don't want you being unguarded."

"Why do you say that?" Certo asked, raising his scaly brow and glancing between the two of them.

"From what we understand from Amp and Terra, the apes singled out Crona when they encountered your brother and tried to capture her," Cytros explained. "They made a second attempt during the last attack, but we were obviously able to prevent them from succeeding."

Crona held her breath as Certo turned his eyes on her. Her heart was pounding in her chest so loud she was afraid the others would hear it.

"If the apes are singling Crona out with each attack, then they must want something from her," Nitrus spoke up, having been taking in most of the conversation so far. The ice guardian turned to Certo who felt his eyes and faced him. "Do you have any idea why that would be?"

Certo shook his head. "I can't say." He turned his gaze back to Crona, who stood as stiff as a pole. "I'm not as familiar with the apes."

"Perhaps it has something to do, not with the apes, but your brother," Kia piped up, tapping her chin with a talon. "The apes seem to be more brutish and simple minded. My guess would be that your brother is giving them orders to track down and capture Crona for some reason."

"Why would he want her captured?" Terra asked, eyeing Certo keenly. "I thought you said he wanted all dragons dead."

"He does." Certo bobbed his head slightly.

"My guess would be that it has to do with the fact that Crona escaped from him once before," Amp pointed out. Every head turned to him with a curious expression. "Think about it. He seems to pride himself as the most powerful dragon around, and when he had the chance to kill her when she was captured, Certo stepped in to rescue her. He may be singling her out because of a personal grudge."

"That does make sense." Certo nodded, much to Crona's relief. "He would take something like that very personal. But I don't think we will have to worry about it too much." The black dragon looked Crona square in the eyes with a fire of determination burning behind them. "I won't let him get his claws on you. I promise."

"Aw, that's so sweet," Terra said with a giggle. Amp, Kia and Verona chuckled as well when they saw the two young dragons blush in embarrassment.

"That's enough, Terra," Nitrus ordered in a gentle tone. "You both may be excused. Just be careful while you are out and about."

"And try not to destroy anything." Kia warned with an air of hesitation.

"I'll do my best." Certo nodded.

"Wait right here." Crona ordered and ran to the back room.

"Mind if I tag along?" Amp asked. "I want to see this power of yours as well. Plus I was hoping you would be able to give me some pointers on how to defend against your brother. You know, in case I do face off with him again." Certo watched as the young guardian kicked his hind leg a couple times to indicate what he was talking about. Amp had been left with several scars from Neros's teeth, but he hardly noticed them when he was not thinking about it. The lightning guardian's wound was healing rather quickly, thanks to Thundra's medical care. However, he had still been ordered to refrain from over exerting himself by his mother-in-law.

"Please, Certo?" Terra asked. "I know it may seem like we're getting in the way. But I... I don't want to see Amp taken from me because he wasn't strong enough to fight. It was scary enough watching him get hurt once before. I don't want to see that again."

"It's going to happen again," Certo answered with a faint growl in his throat. "If you think you're going to get used to it you won't be able to."

"Unfortunately, Certo is right." Stratus nodded. "We dragons have never been in a conflict with another race to this extreme before. There will be casualties on both sides, and it may even be the ones we love the most. There is no getting around that."

"We may come to accept that we may die," Cytros added. "But it doesn't make the situation any easier."

Terra and Amp sighed sadly as they looked down at the table. Neither of them liked the idea of losing each other or any of their friends for that matter. To Terra, she could not fathom what it would be like to lose her entire family the way Certo and Sabre had.

The ice dragoness looked up at Certo from across the table with a saddened expression. "How do you do it, Certo?" She whimpered with a noticeable crack in her voice. "How do you go on every day knowing that your whole family is gone?"

Certo felt a twinge of pain as well as hatred build up inside his heart. His claws flexed, scratching against the marble floor.

"He just moves along," Amp spoke, catching everyone's attention. "He keeps pushing forward even though everything he once lived for is gone. Am I right?" He asked, looking the black dragon in the eye.

"All ready." Crona called as she emerged from the back room. Everyone turned to see she had gathered a bundle of blank scrolls, brushes and inkwells; all set securely in her new travel harness which poked out from under her brand new crimson cape. Her last harness had been torn beyond repair as well as her cloak, but Thundra had made arrangements for new ones to be made some time ago. It was only now that Crona had decided to wear them.

Certo took one look at her and his face began to burn. Crona was excited to try on her new gear, which was heavier than before, but it was a snug and secure fit without being uncomfortable.

"Wow," Terra gasped and Amp nodded dumbly with his mouth hung open.

"Young dragoness, you look absolutely stunning," Stratus breathed with a large smile spreading across his face. Even he was blushing slightly at Crona's appearance.

"Thank you." Crona's cheeks flushed at the sudden rush of attention she was getting. As she strolled over to Certo she noticed the wide-eyed look he wore and tilted her head at him curiously. "You okay?"

"Y-yeah. Fine." The black dragon shook his head, snapping out of his trance. "We should get going though." He quickly turned away from Crona and headed for the front entrance, leaving the white dragoness genuinely perplexed by his actions. "Come on," He said to Amp and Terra as he passed them. The couple glanced at each other quickly before hurrying after him with Crona bringing up the rear.

"To be young again." Stratus sighed as he watched them go.

"Indeed." Nitrus nodded in agreement. Cytros and Verona exchanged a secret stare from across the table before smiling affectionately at one another.

As the young dragons emerged into the bright, late morning sun, they spread their wings wide as they prepared to head off to the enchanted forest. They stretched their stiff muscles, popping their joints and letting the rays of light warm their wing membranes.

"Oh, this feels so good!" Terra groaned as she stretched out her spine like a sleepy feline. "It feels like it's been years since we've been outside."

"I agree." Amp yawned, popping the vertebrae in his neck. "I'm actually glad we get to go out and train."

"Then let's not waste any time," Certo spoke up, bringing the two lovers back to the task at hand. The black dragon sprang into the air with Crona instantly following behind him. As the four dragons rose into the sky and headed into the distance, a blue dragoness stepped out from the shadows of the library's second story balcony. Sabre blinked and shielded her eyes from the sun with a wing as she watched them go. None of them would realize it, but she had been listening in on their conversation, and a plan was forming in her mind.

Two days passed by quickly for Crona. During much of that time she slept and ate what Ignitus had brought her. She did not see the guardian of fire very much, as he was usually out during the short periods where she was awake. On the third day, she woke from a deep sleep with a loud, unsubtle yawn.

"Sleep well?" The white dragoness jumped in surprise seeing the fire dragon lying beside her bed. He smiled down at her and pushed another pair of thick leaves towards her bed; one with fresh water and the other with dried berries, which Crona had proven to adore in the short time she had taken up residence.

"I slept okay. Thank you," The young dragoness replied. She got to her feet, testing her legs out and fluttering her wings. Her limbs were still a bit stiff from laying down so much but the soreness and throbbing had nearly disappeared. Her appetite had long since returned, and it showed as she munched down the ripe fruits and raw strips of meat Ignitus had brought for her.

The fire guardian waited patiently for her to finish. When she was done, Crona licked her chops and politely stifled a small burp. Ignitus, however, noticed and gave an amused chuckle. "Has there been any sign of my father lately?" Crona asked, hoping to hear that he was okay.

Ignitus sighed and shook his head. "I'm sorry Crona, but I have not seen any other dragons that could be your father."

Crona's heart sank. She was happy to be safe in the company of Ignitus but she also knew how much her father worried about her.

"However, I think I may have a solution for how you may receive an answer to your earlier question." Crona's spines seemed to stand erect as she perked up with sudden interest. "But I must warn you, I have never seen this dragon myself, or heard of him in many years. I have no knowledge on how to find him or where. The best I can do is point you in a direction."

A jolt of fear along with a burst of excitement shot through Crona's body. Thought the fire guardian's words left her highly puzzled about the situation. How in the world was she supposed to find a dragon whose whereabouts were unknown even to the wisest of the guardians? What if this dragon was no longer alive because of Malefor's forces? What if even this dragon could not answer her questions? Crona shook those thoughts from her head. The only way she would get an answer to anything would be if she searched this dragon out. If this was the only way, she would fight tooth and nail to get the answers she wanted. The little dragoness looked up at Ignitus. He had promised to find her father; of that much she was certain. He would be worried, no doubt, but it was something she would have to put to the back of her mind until her quest had come to an end.

Crona rose to her feet. It was like she could see more clearly; the path she had been searching for was gradually laying itself before her. But one major question still remained. "Ignitus? Who is this dragon you speak of?"

Ignitus looked up at the ceiling as if looking through the stone itself. "He is the Chronicler of our time, young one, and the wisest of all dragons." He brought his gaze back down to her, seeing the intense look of interest in the young dragoness's eyes. "I am confident that he will be able to give you the answers you seek. But as I have said before, I have never seen him. I have heard from him, but I was never invited to meet him in person. So all I can do is point you in the right direction."

"I'm ready." Crona nodded with a determined look in her eyes. "Just point me where to go and I will handle the rest." She took a step forward and her legs wobbled beneath her.

Ignitus chuckled and rose to his feet. "My, such strong wills in you young dragons these days. I will point you in the proper direction when you are well enough to make the journey on your own. Until then I wish for you to rest up for a little longer. There will be many dangers lurking out there and you will need to be ready for them."

"I promise I will," Crona replied strongly, stiffening her legs to make herself look bigger. "I won't let you down." Crona was still a bit unsure why she had made such a bold promise in the first place. But she trusted Ignitus completely. Somehow, it just felt right.


	27. Chapter 27

Amp rolled through the air as he dodged an ice spike from Terra. The lightning guardian banked to avoid another and spat a bolt of lightning at her. Terra ducked and breathed a thick cloud of frost into the air, shrouding herself in the icy mist. Amp smirked and headed straight for it, where upon entering the cloud he began emitting a small electrical charge. The current of his electric energy carried through the ice particles as he tried to sense were his fiancée was hiding. When he could not find her he began to look around with a puzzled look.

"Gotcha!" Terra shouted as she dove at him from above. Amp looked up and beat his wings hard, propelling himself out of the mist as the grey dragoness shot past him.

"Not quite." Amp chuckled as his mate came to hover below him. "Close though. You almost got me there."

"Oh didn't I?" Terra raised a skeptical brow and nudged at her shoulder. Amp tilted his head curiously and felt his jaw rub up against something cold. Much to his surprise, Terra had managed to concentrate the ice particles in the air to form a frozen cast over his shoulder.

Amp sighed in irritation. "And here I thought I was getting better."

"It's not your fault," Terra said, trying to comfort him as they flew to rejoin one another. "If it weren't for... you know... that incident at the academy, you would be a much better fighter."

Before Amp could say anything a thunderous roar echoed through the air. The reverberations were intense and the two young dragons grit their teeth as the sound rang in their ears.

Down on the ground, Crona stood before Certo. The black dragon's wings were spread wide, his membranes nearly ready to split at any moment. His head was lowered to the ground and his legs spread wide. A dust devil surrounded the two older dragons, all the while picking up speed, spiraling higher and higher into the sky. The roar that had caught Amp and Terra's attention lingered in the back of Certo's throat. His eyes were squeezed tightly shut and his teeth ground against each other.

"Open your eyes Certo!" Crona shouted over the whirling wind. "I can't see if you're making any progress with your eyes closed!"

The black dragon turned his eyes to her and the wind began to lose power. "What do my eyes have to do with this? I thought you said you wanted me to concentrate!"

"I do!" Crona nodded, thrusting her chest out in front of her. "But you have to do it with your eyes open. If you want to be able to summon this power in a fight then you need to have your eyes on your opponent."

"Neros doesn't use his sight to see," Certo pointed out. "He feels the wind."

"But you've mentioned before that you can counteract the wind's current," Crona continued. "If you can do that, then I have little doubt your brother has figured out how to as well."

"So what do you bloody want me to do?" Certo snapped; his temper was starting to get the better of him now. He had been following the white dragoness's so-called training routine for almost two days now. He had not expected it to be this difficult; not that he had expected it to be easy either. But now her routines of always having to concentrate, keep a level head and focus on things he would just as soon forget about was beginning to press on his last nerve.

"Use the fact that you can see far better than your brother to your advantage!" Crona ordered. "I have to use all of my senses when I use my..." Crona could feel Amp and Terra's eyes on her. "You know. You have to do the same."

"I'm not like you Crona!" Certo shot back. "I have no experience with this sort of magic usage or whatever the heck it's called! You can't expect me to get it right away."

Crona sighed. He definitely had a point. She was involving him in a task that had taken her years to master and even now she still had trouble controlling this ability of hers. She knew what fueled his energy, so why was it not working when she ordered him to think about all the horrible things going on around him? Was it that when he thought about them he felt other emotions besides anger? Was he feeling the wrong emotions? She could only imagine how much it must have been hurting him to think of his lost family and those around him who had suffered so much.

The white dragoness's thoughts drifted to her own past. When her mother had died she remembered feeling alone, helpless to try and save her mother's life. Maybe there could have been something she could have done to protect her. If it had not been for the war and the forces under the Dark Master's command, her mother and Arcadia would still be alive today. As she stared at Certo she began to feel the emotions intensify inside her very soul. It was this dragon's brother who had initiated this whole genocide against dragon-kind. It was because of Neros to begin with. And here Certo was claiming that he was helpless to stop him despite having a power that could somehow match the might of convexity.

"So you're just going to give up is that it?" Crona muttered as she stared at her paws. An idea was beginning to form in her mind.

"What did you say?" Certo asked, squinting at her.

Crona looked up at him and Certo's head jerked back when he saw the heated glare in her fierce, icy blue eyes. Those eyes, when they were angry, looked like they should have belonged to a fire dragon. The fury that blazed behind them intimidated even the black dragon himself.

"I asked if you are going to give up. Just because of a little snag getting in your way?"

"No, I just..."

"Just what, Certo?" Crona demanded, bringing her snout right up to his and locking in her stare. "Just want to take a break? Rest for a little while? I never got to take breaks when I was growing up! I always had to fend for myself when out on my own! Are you saying that just because of a little stress you're not willing to find a way to solve this problem?"

"I never said anything like that!" Certo snapped, pressing his snout back against hers.

"Oh yeah?" Crona pushed back. "Well it sure seems like you are! Just because you don't say it out loud, doesn't mean your actions don't speak for themselves!" She pulled away and turned her back on him. "If I didn't know any better I'd say you're scared."

"What!?" Certo snarled with his teeth bared.

"Think about it, Certo. If you were any bit as tough as you act then you would already have mastered this new power of yours. But I think you don't have what it takes to face Neros. You're scared of him."

"I am not!" Certo shouted furiously.

"Oh, no?" Crona raised a brow skeptically; her plan was working. "Then prove me wrong! Show me you're not the coward you're acting like right now!"

"That's it!" Certo fumed, stamping the ground with his front paws. "I will not be treated like an inferior any more! I'll show you who is scared here! I'll shut you up permanently by going out and killing Neros right now!" Another roar erupted from Certo's throat. His bad eye suddenly became ablaze with crimson energy and his scars lit up, sending his body temperature skyrocketing. Overhead the sky turned deep crimson as the dirt devil picked up once more. The cloud of dust engulfed the black dragon and white dragoness shrouding them in a tornado of fiery red energy.

Crona smiled and walked towards Certo. "That's the way. You're doing it Certo!"

The black dragon blinked and the wind began to die down again; but this time the glowing of his scars and eye remained. "I am?"

Crona nodded, her smile growing wider by the second. "Look at you. I think you've got it." She eyed his glowing form up and down as he looked over his body at the sizzling energy coming from inside his body.

"Wow." Amp gasped as he and Terra glided down beside the white dragoness to get a better look at Certo. "What did you do to him?"

"It's just as I thought," Crona pondered aloud. "When he was concentrating before, his mind may have been too jumbled with other miscellaneous thoughts that he could not, for lack of a better term, grasp his emotions properly. But when I started taunting him he completely forgot about what he was doing and his instinct took over, thus letting his power react to his feelings."

"That's actually kind of scary in a way if you think about it," Terra pointed out and moved closer to Amp. Seeing Certo like this frightened her a little. "If you say it takes anger to trigger this... power of his, it must take a lot of it in order for this to happen."

Crona walked away and over to a shady apple tree where her scrolls and brushes waited to be used again. The three other dragons came over and watched as she scribbled down her notes for this session with brisk, deliberate precision. "I think what Certo will have to do in order to control his power is retain, in his mind, the initial feeling that triggers his intense anger. If he focuses on that he should be able to control this power and ultimately be able to use it against Neros when he attacks again."

"Well I can only hope that it won't be any time soon," Amp muttered, flexing his once-wounded leg.

"Which is why..." Crona finished writing her notes and set the scroll up to dry. The wind caused by the black dragon's intense emotions helped to dry the ink quickly throughout the past couple days. "We need to continue training." She got up and walked past Certo, giving him a slight brush with her shoulder. "Ready? Let's do it again."

Certo bent down into his fighting stance and his scars and eye blazed bright. "I'm not letting Neros get the best of me!" He shouted in his mind. "I'll kill him even if it's the last thing I do."

As a rush of hot air blew across the field, Sabre ducked back into her hiding place beneath a grove of trees. She had been watching Certo and Crona constantly for the past couple days, brooding over the idea that was in her mind. There was a big chance that it would backfire; but also there was a tiny sliver of hope in her eyes that it could work out to her benefit. Her only problem was that she had no way of tracking down the dragon she was looking for.

Crona's recovery went along quickly and smoothly over the next three days. All the while, Ignitus continued to care for her and keep her sheltered within the old temple. The two seemed to enjoy the other's presence quite a bit and Crona took great interest in the fire guardian's tales from his lifetime.

At one point Crona had gotten bold enough to ask about the report she had heard from Bracken back at her home city. Much to her dismay Ignitus was able to confirm the fact that the other guardians had indeed been captured. The battle had been unexpected, but the dragon forces had been prepared either way, and were on the verge of victory. However, the tide of the battle had quickly turned when an enormous black dragoness appeared out of nowhere, decimating the dragon warriors and overwhelming the guardians.

Crona had been dumbstruck to hear that the report had been true after all. What dragon would help the Dark Master? Ignitus only waved a paw dismissively with a sad expression on his face. To Crona it looked like he was feeling guilty for something, but what, she would never know.

It was during this time that the guardian of fire revealed to Crona a new development in the war. While hiding here in the mushroom forest he had encountered another young dragon, only a little younger than Crona herself. Crona had perked up at this and sat extremely still as she listened to the guardian's story.

A young purple dragon had been wandering about in the forest before running into Ignitus, not too long before Crona had met him herself. Despite his wild, untrained nature, he had proven himself capable of breathing fire; therefore Ignitus had been compelled to teach him more about how to use the element as he did. What had astonished Crona the most was when she had asked what this looked like.

"A purple dragon?" She squeaked as her mouth fell open. "Are you sure?" The only purple dragon she had heard of until this point was the Dark Master himself; the malignant tyrant who wanted to bring nothing but death and despair to the world.

Ignitus nodded. "As sure as the blood that flows through this old body. I fear that Spyro may be our only hope to save us all from the wrath of the Dark Master."

"What!" Crona nearly choked on her own air. "That can't be right! He's just a child! Sure he he's a purple dragon, but... he can't face up to all of Malefor's forces!"

"Crona, I know this may sound hard to believe." Ignitus sighed, resting a paw on her shoulder. "But seeing the pure-hearted dragon that Spyro is, and his ability to learn quickly while under pressure, I have a strong faith that he will be able to succeed in bringing an end to this dreadful war."

"An end to the war?" Crona repeated, her mouth hanging open and her eyes wide in awe. Like her father she had known nothing but war. She had always longed for peace, but now, just hearing that there was a chance for it to happen, she could hardly imagine what the experience would be like. "Is there anything we may do to help him? Surely there has to be something the other dragons can do."

Ignitus shook his head. "I have thought that question over myself. It was once told that another purple dragon would be born to defeat the Dark Master and his armies, but that the egg had been destroyed when this temple was attacked." Crona looked around the room in surprise. She had read about that prophecy before in the city's archives but she had not imagined that this was the place it all had happened. "Some were fearful of the purple dragon being born again after what had happened with Malefor," Ignitus continued. "Some said that it would be the end of the world for us all if this egg were to hatch. Others were hopeful that it would bring about an age of peace. One that has not been bestowed upon us dragons for over a thousand years." He looked down at Crona with a sudden fire of hope blazing in his eyes. "It will not be long until the word of the other guardians' capture reaches all the cities that remain. But it is also my belief that when Spyro succeeds in rescuing them, the morale of our kind will increase dramatically and we will be able to at last defeat the Dark Master and his armies once and for all."

Crona felt a sense of worthlessness sweep over her. She wanted to help this Spyro and end this terrible war that had claimed the lives of so many innocent dragons. But wallowing in self pity would get her nowhere. The young dragoness decided right then and there she was going to help stop this war and find the Chronicler herself.

"What in the ancestor's name are you two doing?" Certo demanded as he walked over to Terra, who was firing ice spikes at Amp from the ground.

"Training. What does it look like?" Terra asked, a bit thrown off by his sudden attitude.

"You call that training?" Certo glanced at Amp who was high above, hovering in place, waiting for the next volley of ice spikes. "You're not doing anything but playing a game of hit or miss." He turned his attention to the young guardian overhead. "Amp, if you want to get better and actually stand a chance against Neros you can't be playing games like this! You won't get any experience unless you go tooth to claw with another dragon! What you're doing is nothing more than exercises!"

"Excuse me?" Terra snapped. "Where do you get the gall to say I'm just giving him exercise?" Off to the side, beneath her apple tree, Crona perked her head up to look at what was going on.

Certo whirled on the grey dragoness as a gust of wind blew across the field. "You as well, Terra. If you don't want to see Amp get hurt, you'll stop babying him and grind his snout in the dirt a bit. Otherwise he will have the same experience as the last time he faced Neros."

Terra's cheeks burned red with anger. "I am not babying him!" She protested.

Certo's brow jumped mockingly. "Oh, really? Try and hit me."

"What?"

"I said, hit me!" Certo snarled, his temper suddenly rising. "Right now! With everything you've got!"

"Fine!" Terra shot back. "Eat this!" She raised her paw to lash out with her talons but felt a heavy blow across her cheek. She staggered back and looked at Certo in surprise.

"Stop talking about what you're going to do and do it!" Certo said gruffly. "If you make your intentions known to your enemy, he'll be able to counter and then you will have wasted energy!"

"Waste this!" Amp shouted. Certo jumped to the side as a bolt of lightning struck the ground. He turned his gaze up as Amp barreled into him, knocking the black dragon to the ground. "No one strikes my Terra and gets away with it!"

"All I hear is talk right now, Amp!" Certo growled, striking the guardian across the face. The lightning dragon staggered back and bared his teeth at Certo. "If that's how you feel then come at me!"

Amp snarled and charged Certo, his quills buzzing with electric energy. The young dragon vaulted into the air and beat his wings, propelling himself at Certo like a rocket. The black dragon lunged for him and the two clashed in mid air. Amp recoiled from the blow and fell to the ground.

No sooner had he landed than Certo felt Terra pounce on him from behind. The ice dragoness dug her claws into him and bit down on his neck. Certo squalled angrily and hurled himself onto the ground, slamming Terra in the process. The ice dragoness released her vice grip, but kept her claws dug into Certo's hide. Amp got to his feet and dog-piled the black dragon, while Terra held him down. On instinct, Amp bit down on Certo's shoulder, causing him to bellow angrily. Certo drove his knee into Amp's gut, knocking the wind out of him. Amp's grip released enough for Certo to yank his shoulder free, and deliver a strong blow with the ball of his wrist to Amp's cheek. Almost instantly, Terra bit down on Certo's wrist and shook her head violently. Certo opened his mouth as if to cry out but clamped his jaws down on the ice dragoness's neck.

Terra's scream hurt Amp's ears and set off a fire deep inside of him. He rolled and lunged for Certo's neck with his jaws open wide. Certo saw him coming and released his hold on Terra. The black dragon slammed the side of his head into Amp's muzzle, stunning him as he hit the ground. Certo followed up with a powerful kick of his hind legs, catching Terra in the ribs and sending her rolling across the ground.

Crona watched as the two younger dragons scraped themselves off the ground. Amp staggered, still seeing spots dance before him, while Terra wheezed as she tried to regain her lost wind.

"You're both leaving yourselves open too much," Certo lectured as he sat down on his haunches, rolling his muscular shoulders. The bite and scratches burned but did little to phase his attitude. "You have to think about what your enemy might do if you launch a particular strike against them. That also goes when indicating what moves you plan on executing. You have to try to catch your opponent off guard."

Both Amp and Terra glanced at one another, still gasping for breath. Then, without warning, Amp jumped to his feet and fired a lightning bolt. Certo bared his teeth and braced himself for the hit as his eye and scars blazed with energy. Just before the bolt struck the black dragon, it deflected off a barrier of energy and ricochet back at Amp. The young dragon's eyes grew wide and his jaw dropped before being hit full force with his own breath attack. Terra, Crona and Certo all wore a look of surprise as they watched Amp lay still on the ground.

Terra bounded over to her fiancée. "Amp! Are you alright? Are you seriously hurt?"

The young lightning dragon coughed hard. "That really hurt," he whined. The bolt of lightning had left a dark burn mark against his violet breast scales. The wound was not serious, but it would stay there for a good week or two.

"I think they've had enough brawling for one day, Certo," Crona said, putting aside her notes and walking over to them. By now the black dragon's body had returned to normal and he released a long sigh. Almost immediately he began coughing hard, covering his mouth with the back of his paw. When the hacking continued for more than a couple minutes, Terra, Amp and Crona looked at him worriedly.

"Hey, are you okay, Certo?" Amp asked, as Terra helped him up off the ground, acting as a crutch for him.

Certo coughed hard and nodded. "I'll be fine," He wheezed, stifling another gasp. "I think I just breathed down the wrong tube."

"That cough sounds pretty bad though," Terra said worriedly. "Maybe you should have my mom look at you."

"I'll be fine, really," Certo assured her. "It'll pass in a minute."

"Well either way, I think we should call it a day," Crona said, turning back to go get her notes. "We can continue with your training again tomorrow, Certo. In the meantime I want to get back to the city and organize my work."

"You guys go on ahead," Certo said, taking a few steps away from the group. "I want to spend a little time on my own out here, while I can enjoy the quiet."

Crona stopped and turned to stare hard at Certo. He was not sounding like himself all of a sudden and it made her extremely suspicious. The black dragon could feel her eyes on him and stared at her just as intently. Off in the bushes, Sabre watched with intense interest, but also a feeling of panic in her heart.

"Don't be too long," Terra warned as she helped Amp along. "It will be getting dark out soon."

"I won't be," Certo said turning towards the underbrush at the edge of the field. He glanced back at Crona who twitched her muzzle slightly but said nothing. The dragoness gathered up her notes, scrolls and writing tools before taking to the air in a bit of a flustered hurry. Certo waited until Amp and Terra were following after her before turning back to the forest behind him. "I know you're hiding there. Come out unless you want me to blow you out!"

Sabre's heart jumped and fluttered in her chest. Certo was not staring at her but he definitely seemed to be aware of another presence in the area. How had he figured out she was there? Why had he not said anything before hand? Was he waiting until they were alone to confront her on spying on them? And if so, how long had he known? She had been watching them for four days total now as Crona drilled Certo, over and over, and forced him to master that frightening power of his.

But now she had been found out. And if Certo was acting as if she were a threat then she had best come forth and reveal herself before he took drastic action.

Just as the ice dragoness moved, a trio of apes dropped from the trees and swung into the field, facing the young black dragon. Sabre's heart nearly stopped when she saw her black dragon staring them down, a fierce glare on his face. She crouched lower in the underbrush, trying her best to melt into the earth beneath her.

"So you really are the Master's brother," The leader growled; slobber dripping from his slacked jaw.

Certo curled his lip and the wind began to pick up. "Don't associate me with that scum-bag you consider a master, you flea-bitten savages." His sinister hiss carried with the wind, making the hair on their backs stand on end. "You can return to your so-called master, and tell him I'm ready for him whenever he wants to come out of hiding."

The apes exchanged uncertain looks before turning back to the black dragon. "And what if we chose to kill you ourselves right now?"

"No, we mustn't!" One of the apes whispered. "This one is for Master only."

The lead ape just scoffed and took a step towards Certo with his bone-blade drawn. "The Master said that the white one is to be brought back alive. He did not specify he wanted the black one to be spared."

"Then let me make that choice easier for you," Certo growled. The leader turned back in time to see Certo's body light up with crimson energy; and before he could make a move, a beam of crimson burned through his torso. The baboon squawked and gagged on his own blood before falling to the ground in a bloody heap. His two comrades stared at the body for a long moment before looking up at Certo. "You deliver my message and add this," Certo growled, taking a couple stalking steps forward. The apes loomed over him, but the black dragon's sudden transformation frightened them so much they were too numb to move. "I have no idea what he wants with Crona. Maybe he has some grudge against her for getting away from him, I don't know. But you tell him that if he so much as touches her, I will be there to remove his head from his shoulders before he can think twice about what he's done! You got it?"

The two apes nodded vigorously and turned to leave.

"Hey!" Certo snapped, stopping them in their tracks. "Take your garbage with you!" The apes looked down at their dead companion and then each other. "Now!" Certo barked, and the apes scurried to gather up the body and disappear into the growing darkness of the forest.

When they were gone Certo turned to face Sabre's hiding spot. He could feel the chill in the air which gave away her presence. It was not nearly as cold at this time of year, but the ice dragoness's nervous energy made the wind chill that much greater.

"Don't stay out here too long, Sabre," Certo called over to her. "I don't want anything happening to you when I'm not around."

The ice dragoness jolted in response, but all she could do was watch as Certo walked to the edge of the field before taking to the air, heading back towards the city.

Sabre stared at the black dragon until he disappeared over the horizon. When he was gone she crept out from her hiding spot and crept over to where the fallen ape had hit the dirt. She flicked her tongue out to taste the particles in the air, her Jacobs gland picking up the trail of fresh blood, leading back to where the apes had come from. She gave one last quick glance over her shoulder, pausing to think about her next course of action. Certo had just said he did not want anything to happen to her. Did that mean he did care for her? If so, did he not want Crona to know? The thought of the white dragoness made a wave of jealousy crash over her. The blue dragoness gave an angry huff before ducking back into the underbrush and following after the fleeing apes.

The black dragon flew back towards the city at a quickened pace. He had wanted so desperately to kill the apes that had been spying on them. Never before had the urge to kill been so great. The fact that the leader had gone down with a single attack gave the young dragon such an adrenaline rush he could hardly keep himself from tearing into the other two.

He was in the middle of his homicidal thoughts when he suddenly felt a lump in his throat and he began to cough and gag. Whatever was in his throat did not want to come out. After several failed attempts, Certo finally gave a violent roar, dislodging a large glob from his throat. The sudden taste of mercury filled his mouth and a split second later a large blob of blood fell from his open maw. Certo's eyes were wide with horror as he watched his own blood fall to the ground below.

The first thing that hit him was panic. This was not normal for any dragon. But then again, since when was he considered normal? At least by the standards of those around him. As he flew over the Silver River, he dove down for a quick drink to wash the taste of blood out of his mouth. For some reason he found himself thinking of the white dragoness, and if he should tell her about this or not. After thinking for the rest of his flight he decided against it. She had enough to think about with helping him learn this on her own. The least he could do was not bog her down with more worries and concerns. Though why she cared he still needed to find out.

When Certo returned to the library, he found Amp and Terra leaving to head home. He nodded to both of them, apologizing for his harsh lesson earlier. The two friends just waved him off understandingly and forgave him with bright smiles. Once he entered the library, he found Crona at the table in the middle of the room. She had her notes spread out across the table before Cytros, Verona, Stratus and Kia. All their heads lifted when Certo walked into the room.

"Good, you made it back safely." Kia chirped with a smile. "Crona was beginning to worry."

"I was not," Crona mumbled, glaring at the air dragoness. Kia only chuckled and flashed her a wink.

"We've got a problem," Certo reported darkly, ignoring the former air guardian's comment. He fixed his gaze upon Cytros who straightened up almost immediately. "Sabre's been spying on us."

"She has?" Cytros glanced at Verona worriedly.

Certo nodded. "But that's not the problem," he continued.

"It's not?" Crona asked skeptically with a raised brow.

"We also had apes watching us." Certo growled. The other dragons glanced worriedly at one another.

"Is that why you stayed behind?" Crona asked, stepping away from her notes to stand face to face with the black dragon.

Certo bobbed his head in response. "Don't worry, I'm fine. They didn't cause us any trouble. They were only spying as well."

Crona narrowed her eyes at him suspiciously. Something about him suddenly seemed different, and every instinct in her body screamed at her to find out what. "Is that all they were doing?"

"Pretty much. I sent them packing without much trouble."

"Certo, I don't think you realize how dangerous your actions were." Stratus pointed out. The young dragon cocked his head and waited to hear the elder finish his explanation. "If there had been more enemies lurking about, not only could you have been hurt, but Sabre as well. And there would have been no one else around to provide any support."

The black dragon was silent for a moment. He did not think Stratus realized the true extent of his combat capabilities now that he had learned how to summon his new power. However, he did value the head librarian's insight, and nodded understandingly. "I guess you're right. Perhaps I'm getting too cocky with all this power swelling up inside me. It's... It just feels like I finally have the power, not just the will, to make a difference. I finally have the power needed to fight against Neros. And... it feels..."

"Overwhelming?" Crona interrupting him, only to receive a nod from the black dragon.

"Yes. Like it's almost too much for me to handle and I just want to burst at any moment." Crona scrunched her muzzle into a slight frown as she thought over his words. After a second she turned away and went back to her notes to jot down a couple of private thoughts.

"That is a wise observation young dragon," Stratus pointed out, pulling Certo's attention back to him. "With everything we learn in this world, we have to be aware of what is going on around us and inside us. This is what we failed to remember when we first met you, if you recall."

Certo frowned. He had just about forgotten about those days when every set of eyes in this city looked at him like the outsider he was and scorned him for his very existence.

"In the meantime, we had best go make sure Sabre has returned home and prepare the guards for their night shift." Cytros piped up; his metal armor clinked as he got to his feet. "In the meantime, you take care and sleep soundly, milady." He leaned in and gave Verona an affectionate nuzzle against her cheek. The librarian cooed, delighted to have the contact and rubbed her cheek against his facial armor.

"I'm going to come with you tonight," Certo demanded. "If there's more apes lurking about then you're going to need me there to help deal with them."

"Oh, no, you don't Certo," Crona said. "I think you've had enough for one day as well. As soon as I'm done with my notes you and I are going to hit the hay."

"Alright then." Certo sighed, not wanting to listen to her ordering him around. He could have sworn she was taking more pleasure in having complete control over his training routines as of late. "Come get me when you're done." He gave a sly smirk as he turned and followed Cytros outside.

Crona's mouth hung open as she watched him disappear into the darkness of the city. This was possibly the one time where he had made a retort that she could not answer to. Kia, Verona and Stratus all chuckled, knowing full well what the young male was getting at. Crona looked up at them with a mixed expression of puzzlement and dismay that she could not come back with a clever reply.

"He seems to know you better than you give him credit for." Stratus smirked. Crona only stuck out her lip and turned back to her notes, sulking as she mulled over them.

Outside, Certo marched proudly beside Cytros as they patrolled the streets. The fire guard was silent but continued to glance at the young dragon as they walked along. Certo definitely seemed to have changed in the past several days. He was not acting like the strong, silent, yet compassionate dragon he used to be. He was more bold, and out-going; and the sudden overconfidence almost made him worried.

"Certo, if I may speak forwardly with you," Cytros started, breaking the silence between them. "How clearly do you have your goals set in your mind?"

"What do you mean?" Certo asked skeptically, raising a brow. "Are you asking if I'm sure about what I want to do to my brother? Because if so, then the answer is yes."

Cytros frowned. "Just like that, is it? You've made up your mind to take his life, without any possible chance of peacefully resolving this conflict?"

Certo's limbs flexed in irritation. Why were these dragons always questioning his decision? "I know my brother better than all of you put together." He growled, trying to hide his frustration. "He won't listen to words and reason only makes things worse for us. The best way to deal with this situation is to deal away with Neros."

Cytros continued to stare at him. "How much did you love your brother? Before things started getting bad between you?" Certo scowled and turned away from Cytros. Seeing the young dragon's reaction gave the guard the answer he had expected. "You claim that you are able to kill him, but should that time come, would you be able to do it?"

"I have to," Certo grumbled.

"I was not asking if you should do it, I was asking if you could!" Cytros suddenly snapped, whirling on the young dragon. Certo jolted in surprise and his eyes widened as he expected the fire breather to pounce on him directly. "Anyone can say that they can take the life of another creature, and very few can bring themselves to say that about one of their own kind. But what kind of dragon can actually follow through with such an act, especially one against someone of their same family?"

Certo felt his heart sink lower. He sighed and stared down at the street beneath his paws. The moonlight caught the glossiness of his black scales, giving him a clear view of his deep scars that were etched across his body. He hated those scars. He hated how he had gotten them. He hated what they reminded him of. He hated even more of what they stood for. A history of nothing but pain, hurt and bigotry. But one question would always linger in his mind: was it his fault? He had tried to treat his twin as an equal and even a superior. And what had he gotten for it? A dead family? A permanently mauled body? None of these so-called punishments fit the crimes committed against Neros. But he had been the one to initiate this extreme act of genocide, thus enticing every dragon in the world to rally against him and his barbaric minions.

Cytros waited patiently for an answer. "Well young Certo? What have you to say?"

"I..." Certo stammered, suddenly feeling out of breath. "My answer... my answer is..." He closed his eyes tight as he struggled to find the words. "The kind of dragon that can bring himself to desire the life of another of his kind, especially of his same family, is a dragon who has reached the end of his existence and has nothing left to lose." He looked up at Cytros, his eyes suddenly becoming glossy in the soft moonlight.

Cytros sighed sadly. He had hoped the youngster had not been able to answer the difficult question. But he raised a paw none the less and placed it over the scars on Certo's right shoulder.

"You have not reached the end of your existence yet, Certo," He explained in a gentler tone than before. "You are a young male far from being in your prime. You have years to live and a life to create. Do not cut yourself short so soon. I never thought I would find another mate like my first until you came along. If it were not for you trying to save Crona's life, I would have never considered librarian Verona for the wonderful dragoness she is." The fire dragon bobbed his head as his muzzle pulled back into a soft smile. "You made me believe in second chances after losing my first."

Certo only stared at him, feeling like an empty shell more than anything. Cytros could see it in his eyes, that he was nowhere near being convinced about his point. "Those who choose to place themselves in your company care for you much more than you realize."

Certo glared at the fire dragon and his claws scraped against the stone streets. "If you're implying that Crona likes me in any way I can be the first to tell you that you have the wrong idea. And I sure as heck don't feel anything towards her either. "

"Don't be so sure," Cytros replied with a smirk. "She's more like you than you think. Shy. Scared. Afraid to show how she really feels towards someone else like her."

"I don't believe that for a half second," Certo nearly spat. "I already said that I don't want anyone to care about and I mean it."

"But what about her feelings?" Cytros asked, keeping his temper about him. He was never one to take the attitude of younger dragons before a superior. "Do you care nothing about what she might be feeling? She may need a friend more than you know and when you say things like that, you may be causing her more pain than you realize."

Certo turned sharply to face the captain of the guard. "I know nothing about Crona! Just because she's always around me doesn't mean I know the slightest thing about her."

"Then take some time to get to know the closest friend you have," Cytros ordered. "It's the least you can do since she seems to try and understand you so much."

"We're completely different dragons!" Certo protested. "She wants to know everything about everything. I don't want to know about her because I don't plan on being around long enough to care!"

"Well maybe you should!" Cytros snarled, bringing his face threateningly close to Certo's. "If you don't start taking the feelings of your companions into consideration, then you are going to become far lonelier than you ever were before!"

Certo narrowed his eyes at the adult male. "I've been alone my whole life. I thought I had someone who would stand beside me, but that was just a wasted delusion on my part. I've never had anyone and that will never change."

"Do you honestly believe that?" Cytros asked, sitting down and inflating his chest to make himself look more dominant before the black dragon. Certo fell silent. He had no answer that he could be definitely certain was what he truly believed. "That's what I thought," Cytros muttered, seeing that the youngster was not going to be able to answer him any time soon. "You should return to the library now. I'm sure you have quite a bit to think about."

Certo looked up again as Cytros got to his feet. He stared at Certo with a stern fierceness in his orange eyes. Certo felt defeated; like no matter what he wanted, he could never get it. The feeling of emptiness weighed heavily on his shoulders, and his wings drooped, almost touching the ground.

Cytros turned to leave. He did not like having to lecture a youngster that was not his own, but like Titanus, Certo needed to learn certain things about those around him. He was about to leave the black dragon when a voice called out to him.

"Captain!" Both Cytros and Certo turned to see Voltrus walking up the hill towards them. Cytros was about to respond when a tiny head poked out from under the cover of the guard's wing.

"Vixen?"

"Daddy!" The young fire dragoness bounced over to her father. She hugged his massive forelimb, thankful to be near him again. "Sabre's gone? She hasn't been home all day!"

"She's been spying on us for the past couple days," Certo explained taking a step towards her. "Last I saw her was just before heading back."

"Did she follow you?" Cytros asked as he placed a comforting paw over his daughter's back.

"I would expect that she did." Certo shrugged. He was beginning to feel uneasy about the situation, now that he realized what might be at stake. "Why wouldn't she?"

Cytros frowned and turned back to Voltrus. "Organize a search party. I want this entire city searched from top to bottom. We have to find her."

"Understood." Vultrus saluted with a wing and took to the air.

Cytros watched him go before turning to his daughter. "Come Vixen. I'll escort you home."

"But I want to help!" Vixen protested, taking a stance beside Certo, hoping that he would be her back-up should her father disapprove.

"You can help by waiting at home," Cytros spoke softly, clearly trying to hide his frustration. "If Sabre does come back then we need someone there to welcome her."

Vixen looked to Certo who only nodded his agreement. The young fire dragoness looked saddened that she could not help as she pleased. "Alright Daddy. I'll go."

"That's my girl." Cytros leaned down to nuzzle her affectionately.

"What should I do?" Certo asked.

Cytros's frown returned as he looked up at the black dragon. "You can return to the library and inform the others of what is going on. Then I suggest you get some rest. If you're going to be any help to us at all you need to be fresh. Is that understood?"

"Y-yes..." Certo mumbled, staring at his feet. He knew it was his fault that this was happening. If only he had been more aware, more careful, Sabre would be safe at home right now.

The black dragon stood and watched as the two fire dragons walked back down the hill towards their home. Each time Vixen glanced over her shoulder at him, Certo felt a new twinge of guilt in his heart.

"Damn me," He cursed silently before taking off back towards the library.

Back inside, Crona hurried to scribble down her finished notes. She was still feeling rather irritated about Certo's earlier comment, and now she was hustling to try and put the black dragon in his place once again. But each time she paused to think about what she had written out, a new idea would come to mind and she would start writing all over again.

Across the table, Verona was organizing a stack of old, dusty books she had brought for Kia and Stratus to inspect. But the ice dragoness was more focused on Crona furiously scribbling away before her.

Kia seemed to notice and smiled, nudging the librarian with her wing. "She's like that," She whispered. Crona was so deep into her work that she did not even hear the comment. Kia chuckled, seeing that her former student had not changed entirely since graduating from her class.

The sudden flutter of wings grabbed their attention. Certo shot into the room and came to a sliding halt across the marble floor. Right away Kia could tell the young male was distressed.

"Sabre's gone missing!" He reported before anyone could speak. Crona's head perked up at hearing the ice dragoness's name. On instinct she looked around the room to see if there was any extra pair of eyes watching them. "Cytros is having a search party put together so we can try and find her."

"I'll go inform Nitrus," Kia spoke quickly before getting up to leave.

"I'll begin searching the library," Stratus grunted as he lifted himself off the floor. "Perhaps she is around here somewhere."

"I'll begin searching on the upper levels," Verona reported, then turned to Certo and Crona. "Let us know if you see anything."

"Will do." Certo nodded. As soon as they had gone he let out a long sigh that seemed like he had been holding for a while. "Crona, I'm sorry."

The sudden apology caught the dragoness off guard. "Wh-what are you apologizing for? I didn't say anything."

"No but you were implying the entire time." Certo shook his head as he walked over to her. "I was becoming too arrogant. I was being blinded by this... this new power of mine. I was becoming cocky and because of that I failed to realize what was really important here."

He looked Crona in the eyes and the dragoness felt her face grow hot. It was times like this she had always hated having white skin, because the blood showed against it far too easily. "A-and that would be...?"

"The lives and safety of those I should be trying to protect," Certo replied, breaking his stare. "I should have made sure Sabre would get home safely rather than assuming she'd follow after me. And now the city will be in a panic trying to find her. And if something has happened to her..."

A sudden paw clamped his mouth shut. Certo looked into Crona's sky-blue eyes and she shook her head. "Don't even think about it," She ordered, narrowing her eyes at him. "We will deal with it as time goes on. Until then, we just have to focus on finding her."

Crona released Certo's muzzle and his mouth fell open slightly. "Alright. I trust you," He murmured.

"I'm glad." Crona bobbed her head, the faintest hint of a smile tugging at the corner of her mouth.

Seeing her calm complexion seemed to settle Certo's nerves. He let out another sigh, rustling her notes and sending a chill down her spine. "I'd better rest up. I have a long day ahead of me tomorrow." He started walking towards his room, looking back at her over his shoulder. "You can take your time with your notes. I know they're important to you." Now it was Crona's turn to be speechless. She took a quick glance at her papers and ink, then back to Certo. The black dragon was smiling at her; forcing it, but smiling none the less. "Good night. Don't be up too late." With that he disappeared into the back room to curl up, cold and alone.

Crona sat beside the table staring at the empty doorway. She made several glances between the table full of notes, and the back room. For some reason she felt conflicted. Like she wanted to continue with her work, but also that Certo wanted her to follow him. At least that may have been what he wanted. But often he was a hard dragon to read. He said so many things, often hurtful, with such intent, that she, more often than not, found it hard to believe the words were his.

A long pause followed after she was certain he had bed down for the night. Her stomach churned as she thought about what to do. She wanted to help him but also she knew that he needed his space sometimes. And after reflecting on how hard she had been pushing him the past four days, she turned back to the table and picked up her writing tool.

"He'll be fine." She thought to herself as she went back to writing, at a considerably slower pace. "He'll be fine."

The day finally came when Crona was well enough to depart from Ignitus' company. She had enjoyed being with him as she made her speedy recovery. The elder dragon was every bit as kind and wise as she had heard and more. The guardian had even gathered extra food to fill her tattered travel bags, so she would not have to worry about foraging as much, being too young to hunt on her own. After wishing her well, Ignitus pointed her off in the direction of the arctic regions of Dante's freezer. This was where he had last sent Spyro; it was also where the Dark Master's dragon general had taken the guardian of lightning, Volteer. Crona thanked him and headed out on her own.

It took several weeks to reach the frozen tundra of Dante's Freezer. The journey had been littered with danger as the Dark Master's forces proceeded to sweep across the burned landscape. Seeing the massive armies for herself was enough to make Crona want to flee for her home and the safety of her father's company. However, each time she had been able to bypass the occasional patrol or evade a platoon of the armored savages, she became more and more confident in her survival instincts.

Very rarely did she have to confront the demons of her past. Much to her relief, her only major oppositions were strays who had gone out on patrol, away from the camps. Crona quickly began to realize that the closer she drew towards her destination, the more fortified the apes' defenses became.

As Crona reached the top of a frozen cliff, she found herself staring out at a vast river of ice. Her jaw dropped as she took in the sight before her. All along the route, enemy battle emplacements lay in ruins. Catapults, cannons, watch towers and navy yards burned. But what surprised Crona the most was the fact that they were still burning. Whatever attack that had taken place here had been recent.

Crona took to the air and wearily flew over the glacier flow. All around, apes struggled to regain their scattered and wounded forces from the burning structures. Crona began to wonder how large of a force had attack this frozen fortress. "But, Ignitus said he only sent Spyro," She pondered aloud to herself. "You can't tell me he did all this. Just on his own."

As she drew closer to the mainland, she continued to see more increasing signs of the ensuing battle. An explosion burst from beyond the outer wall and a cloud of fire burst into the air.

"He's still here!" Crona gasped, her eyes wide in shock. She had not seen power of that magnitude since she discovered her ability to manipulate magic. The white dragoness banked towards the black cloud of smoke, hoping that she was not too late. Just as she was about to reach the courtyard where the battle was, another explosion rocked the fortress and the agonized howl of wounded apes filled the air. This explosion had happened deeper in; whoever this Spyro was, he was moving fast and hitting hard. Crona was about to turn in the new direction when a stray fireball shot up out of the fortress. The dragoness squeaked in surprise and dove towards the ground. The fireball struck a hill nearby, burning a deep crater into the once frozen rock.

Crona landed and took off running as fast as her legs could carry her. If any more stray fireballs were to hit her, she could forget about being any help to this Spyro character. The sounds of the battle raged in the distance; howls from the apes, roars from what she could not tell, and screeching monsters whose origin Crona did not wish to find out.

After several minutes the sounds of explosions and noise began to die away. Crona paused as she trudged up the side of a small mountain overlooking the interior of the fortress. All around, smoke and fire rose into the sky. "There's no way." The young dragoness shook her head. "There's no way this could have been done by just one dragon!"

"Hey, you!" Crona's head jerked to the side to see a battalion of apes coming towards her. They had been on station on the outer sectors of the fortress and were hurrying to investigate the commotion. They seemed rather surprised to find the little white dragoness all alone with no one to look after her.

"Get her!" The lead ape shouted and rushed her.

Crona's first instinct was to flee, but an unknown force held her. Without realizing it, she charged forward. Her onyx talons dug into the snow as she propelled herself up the mountainside towards her attackers. The path they were on was narrow and no place for the apes to be gathering in a mass.

The lead ape leaped into the air and swung his blade at Crona. The dragoness gave a quick burst of speed and darted underneath the smelly beast. Crona stiffened her neck and rammed the following ape in the solar plexus as hard as she could. The baboon felt the wind rush out of him and the ground disappear beneath his feet. Crona and several of the other apes watched as he, and two other barbarians fell to their deaths on the rocks below.

Now infuriated, the apes turned their dark, hateful eyes on the young dragoness. Crona braced herself before them. The squad leader hollered a battle cry and swung his cleaver. Sensing the impending attack coming, Crona was easily able to avoid the strike. She sidestepped as the weapon plunged into the icy ground, before raking the ape across the face with her talons. The ape hollered in pain as he staggered back, clutching at his bleeding face.

The small victory did not last long, for the other apes began pushing and shoving to get at the young dragoness. Crona began to panic as she watched them raise their spears. She soon began to realize that this was a fight beyond her capable abilities. Fearing this may be her last moment alive; Crona remembered her family, her father, her late mother and best friend. "I'm sorry Father," She whispered in her mind. She squeezed her eyes shut even tighter as the apes drew closer. Crona wanted to crawl into a safe hole, away from these bloodthirsty monsters.

The nearest ape launched his spear at the young dragoness, hoping to impale her through in one strike. A loud crack rang through the air as the spear shattered against an energy barrier. Crona opened her eyes to see a light blue barrier of magic surrounding her. The apes glanced at one another, just as much in shock as she was.

Crona inhaled deeply. The barrier began to warp as the magic filled her lungs. The energy billowed around her like a stream of blue, misty energy, refreshing her once tired body and cleansing her mind of any doubts she had possessed.

The apes snarled and lurched forward. Crona hissed in response. The energy she erupted outward, blowing away a large portion of the squad off the cliff. The apes towards the rear of the formation stood, dumbstruck as they watched their comrades fall to their deaths below. All around, the wind began to pick of speed as Crona continued to harness the pure energy surrounding her.

The apes towards the very back of the line turned and fled.

"Come back you cowards!" One of the barbarians shouted furiously. He turned with the remaining three apes to stare down the lone, white dragoness.

Crona closed her eyes as she began to concentrate again. The blue mist was clearer than before, in her mind's eye. The energy coursed around the forms of the apes, making them clearly visible in the growing blizzard. Just as she was about to summon another surge of energy, a spark in the mist caught her attention; something she had never seen before since her first discovery of the magical winds. Colorful sparks began to flutter within the thick blue fog. At first they appeared as small yellow lights in the distance, but soon drew closer until they surrounded the captivated, white dragoness. Crona reached out subconsciously and the light expanded, almost attaching itself to her paw. The energy hovered before her and Crona felt a slight stinging sensation in her arm. She yelped in surprise, practically slapping the ball of energy away. Much to her surprise it rocketed away from her in a bolt of lightning.

The young dragoness stared in astonishment as the apes convulsed before falling off the cliff ledge. The smell of burned fur and flesh hit her and she curled her lip in disgust. As she continued along the ledge, noticing the bloodstains in the snow, she found herself more confused about the skirmish than relieved.

"What was that?" She asked herself. The tingle still remained under her paw as she walked on. She paused and looked at her paw, trying to figure out what she had done. She knew she could manipulate magical energy, but this was totally new to her. Was it this place that had caused this to happen?

A sudden explosion in the background brought her back to reality. The white dragoness sighed in irritation; her questions and magical experiments would have to wait until later.

"Sabre!" Terra called as she and Nitrus pushed through the underbrush. "Sabre!"

"Easy, Terra." Her father sighed, draping a comforting wing over her. "You'll lose your voice if you keep shouting at the top of your lungs."

Terra coughed slightly and leaned against her father's foreleg. Her voice had gotten rather raspy from the hours and days of searching for the lost ice dragoness. Nitrus and Kia had helped with the city-wide search for Sabre, but after the first day, they began to spread their search beyond the bounds of their city.

"Why don't we take a small rest?" Nitrus suggested. He moved ahead of his daughter, leading her towards a shallow stream. He watched as she drank thirstily, thankful for the cooling refreshment. After several minutes, Terra raised her head, letting the remaining droplets trickle down her neck and her breast scales.

"Dad, what are we going to do?" Terra sighed. "What if we don't find her?"

"Don't start thinking like that." Nitrus shook his head before nudging her with his snout. "We will deal with that if or when the time comes."

"But how?" Terra asked, even more distressed than before. "Sabre's out there all alone. She could be captured, hurt or dead for all we know."

"Enough, Terra," Nitrus scolded, more forcefully this time. "If you want to get anything done, you have to stay focused and push forward. Worry about what you will find later. Otherwise, you will spend your time possibly worrying about nothing."

Terra stared at her father for a long time. He seemed older to her; almost wiser. "I suppose you're speaking from experience?"

Nitrus frowned. Normally he would have scolded his daughter and reprimanded her for saying such a thing. However, he knew she was right. He had been the same exact way when Crona had found Certo half dead on the river all those months ago; they all had been. Deep in his heart, Nitrus knew he could never hope to make up for his actions, in regards to the black dragon. No one would ever be able to redeem themselves for the great injustice inflicted upon him.

The sudden flutter of wings brought the dragons' attention skyward. Kia appeared over the treetops and came to hover over them. "Any luck?" She called down to them.

Nitrus shook his head sadly. "No. We'll continue our search. How's the rest of the party doing?"

It was now Kia's turn to frown and shake her head sadly. "No luck either. Cytros is pulling the guards back to regroup. I would suggest we do the same for now."

Nitrus looked down at Terra, who only hung her head, before turning back to the air dragoness. "We're going to remain here and search for Sabre some more." He reported. "If you wouldn't mind forwarding any further information to us, I would appreciate it."

"Very well then." Kia nodded, a bit disappointed he was not listening to reason. "I will send word when there is something to report."

"I appreciate it." Nitrus bobbed his head respectfully. "We'll be heading north from here."

Kia nodded in returned before turning back in the direction of the city. She beat her wings hard, sending a strong gust through the forest, kicking up dirt, leaves and fallen branches. She was a fast flier, but she took her time returning to the city, scanning the forest floor with her acute eyesight, searching for any sign of the missing dragoness. As she reached the outer wall of the city she sighed dolefully. She had been noticing the rapid changes in the city, from the erection of a defensive wall to the rallying of its residents against this new threat of war. But it felt that each time they made a progressive step forward, something would happen to stop them in their tracks.

"I know it's not easy, Master Kia," Stratus said, when she had returned to the library and spoken her thoughts to the rest of the assembly. "But we dragons have dug ourselves into a deep rut, and we are trying to pull ourselves out. The process was not going to be easy from the start."

"I suppose you're right." Kia sighed. For a guardian-class dragoness she was rather young compared to the others. This fact had never bothered her until now, when the city seemed to be in nothing but turmoil. "At any rate, let's get back to the task at hand."

"Indeed." Stratus nodded as he looked around the conference table. All around were the various squad leaders of the guard who had been on search patrol outside the city; the others were given time to rest and gather their strength for when the search continued. Amp stood beside Certo and Crona who remained beside Cytros. Verona was beside the fire guard with a rolled out map. On it were marked areas which the dragons had already searched. "Captain." The head librarian gestured for the fire breather to speak.

"Thank you." Cytros nodded before turning to look around the main chamber. "I decided to recall the search teams because we've been experiencing a flaw in our search. I admit we have covered a lot of ground in the past few days, but our progress has become significantly slower the farther and farther we venture from the city." The squad leaders glanced at each other then back to their captain. "I know that it cannot be helped," Cytros continued. "But we are spreading ourselves out too thin."

The fire guard leaned forward, pushing the map towards the center of the table for all to see. "The different teams have been combing the outlying forest like so." He pushed his claws, gently, across the map, slowing spreading his digits to indicate the spread formation of the squads. "But the farther and farther we go..." He fell silent waiting to see if any of his subordinates would see what he was talking about.

"We leave gaps in our formation." It was a younger ice dragon who had spoken.

Cytros nodded. "We cannot keep this up, unfortunately. We need to either find a way to cover these gaps, or begin a whole new search, with a whole new strategy in mind."

A soft groan rumbled in the squad leaders' throats. None of them liked the idea of starting over, but with a life on the line, they knew it would be a necessary discomfort.

"What if we ask the others to help out?" Amp asked.

"The other guards are on patrol, and fortifying the outer wall as we speak." Cytros replied respectfully to the young guardian. "If we break them from their duties..."

"No, I mean the citizens," Amp interrupted. "We could ask for their support and maybe they would be willing to come out and help us search."

"Do you think that would be a good idea?" Certo asked, speaking for what felt like the first time in days. "They're already terrified to leave their homes, much less the city, in fear of another attack. Asking this may be too much for them."

"Ampus does have a point." Stratus nodded as she scratched his chin with a thick claw. "The guardians and the city sentries are here to protect those who live within the boundaries of this city. It would not be right if the protected do not give back or support those who protect them in a time of great need."

"That time is going to last quite a while," Crona thought to herself.

"It's worth a shot, Certo," Amp continued. "If it doesn't work then we are no worse off than we were before."

"Hm," Certo mumbled as he thought it over for a minute. "Alright. We'll give it a shot."

"That's the spirit," Amp chirped, giving the black dragon a playful elbow, causing him to grunt.

"Alright then, while Ampus rallies supporters, we shall continue searching," Cytros announced. He turned to Voltrus, who straightened up immediately. "Voltrus, inform the guards on patrol of what is going on. Any volunteers are to report directly to them and they will point them in the direction of your squads."

"Understood, sir," the lightning dragon saluted and turned to leave.

"Everyone else, take a short rest," Cytros ordered. "We start our search again tonight."

"Yes sir!" The remaining squad leaders saluted. As the sentries filed out of the library, Cytros turned to Kia. "Will you be informing Master Nitrus of what is going on?"

"I think I had better," Kia replied with a slight smirk. "Perhaps we can get him to come back and help rally some volunteers."

"Very good then. Go fetch him and be safe out there," Stratus urged, sensing that the air dragoness was already eager to return to her fellow guardian. Kia bowed politely and whisked away in a gust of wind.

"Goodness!" Verona nearly spat as she tried to keep the scrolls and papers on the table from blowing away. "So unladylike."

"You were like that yourself at one point too." Stratus chuckled. Verona only blushed and turned away from her great grand-father. Cytros and Stratus both laughed before the captain nuzzled her cheek. Verona cooed and licked his muzzle. Crona and Certo watched this with a keen eye. Stratus noticed and gave a slight cough, grabbing their attention. "I would suggest that you both follow along with Ampus and gather some supporters. Crona, you seem to have quite the experience in persuading others to see the light or what needs to be done. Perhaps you can teach Certo a thing or two about the powers of persuasion."

"I'll do my best." Crona bobbed her head in sharp determination.

"Come, you two," Amp called, as he headed towards the front entrance. "We'll start at home and work our way out from there."

"Sounds like a plan to me," Crona said, following after him with Certo trailing along behind. Just before he disappeared into the bright sunlight, Certo stopped and turned to look at Stratus. The head librarian seemed to understand what the black dragon was asking and gestured for him to move along.

"You'll be fine," He whispered to himself when Certo had gone. "There are some things you have to learn on your own."

As they walked down the hill, Crona and Certo began to realize that they had not been to Amp and Terra's home in nearly two month's time. Crona felt a slight sense of guilt hang over her. She had not spoken with Thundra since she had gotten her cast removed. It was not a very honorable deed to ignore someone who had taken care of her when she was lost, with no one to be at her side. The white dragoness looked at Certo as he walked along beside her, lost in his own thoughts. Surely Thundra would understand that it was because of Certo that she had not been around. After all, she was the one who had urged her to make amends with him; her friend.

Saying that word in her head while looking at him made a tingle run up Crona's spine. "Certo... my friend," She thought to herself. A subtle smile tugged at her cheek. "I never would have remotely thought it possible." She found herself looking him up and down, his black scales glistening with the colors of the rainbow in the midday sun. His scales were a beautiful glossy black, despite his numerous scars etched across them. It was a wonder how she had missed seeing their true value before.

All at once, Certo stopped, snapping Crona out of her trance. She turned in time to run right into Amp, knocking him to the ground. The dragoness had been so deep in thought she had not realized they had arrived at Amp's home pavilion.

"Hey! What was that for?" The young guardian demanded, hurt and confused by what had happened.

"Oh my gosh! I'm so sorry!" Crona apologized and helped Amp to his feet. "I kind of spaced out and wasn't paying attention."

"Again?" Certo muttered, coming up beside her.

Crona curled her lip at him but said nothing.

"Ampus? Is that you?" Thundra's voice came from inside. A moment later the lightning dragoness emerged from behind the front curtain. "Ah, Crona! Certo! How wonderful to see you both again." She leaned down, gathering them up in her wings, for a hug. Neither made any attempt to shy away from the gesture. How could they when Thundra had been so kind to them? "How are you two doing?" The motherly dragoness asked once she released them from her embrace.

"I've been worse," Certo muttered. Crona gave him a sharp elbow in the ribs, scolding him for not minding his manners.

"Certo and I have been doing well, all things considered." Crona forced a smile. She knew full well that word of Sabre's absence had spread quickly throughout the city. Thundra was no fool, which made talking to her much easier in Crona's eyes.

"Well, that is good." Thundra bobbed her head, understanding the pressure the two youngsters were under. "Is there anything I can do to help?"

"Certo!" A tiny voice shouted from inside the pavilion. Everyone turned in time to see Maya burst from behind the curtain and slam head on into Certo's foreleg. The black dragon looked down in astonishment as the young dragoness hugged and nuzzled his leg. He looked up at Thundra almost unsure of what he should do.

The dragoness only smiled. "She's missed you a lot Certo. Especially since you were the main reason she got whatever breakfast she wanted in the morning." Amp laughed and even Crona was forced to smile at that. Certo felt his face grow hot as he stared back down at the little dragoness. Steadily, yet almost hesitantly, he extended a wing until it was draped around Maya's back protectively. Maya cooed softly and rubbed her cheek against Certo's glossy scales.

The black dragon felt numb and dizzy all of a sudden. It was a feeling he had not experienced in years. Without even thinking, he sat down on his haunches, allowing Maya to curl up between his front paws. Certo and Crona shared a private stare; the black dragon trying his hardest to not appear interested in the youngling lying at his feet. The white dragoness was trying to contain her shock and disbelief at what she was seeing; the parental side of Certo. It was not something she thought she would have ever seen, or would ever have a chance to see again.

"We're going to be making rounds throughout the city," Amp reported, snapping Crona and Certo's attention to the task at hand. "The city guard is spreading itself out too thin while searching for Sabre, so we thought it would be a good idea to ask if anyone would be willing to volunteer for help."

"That's a clever idea, Amp." Thundra nodded, tapping her cheek thoughtfully. "Is there any way I can help?"

"Would you be willing to ask around as well?" Amp asked with pleading eyes. "I think it would be a big help if we have more dragons out and about, asking for support."

"It would be my pleasure." Thundra bowed before her son-in-law. "Come along Maya. We have some work to do."

The little lightning dragoness pouted as she raised her head. "But I want to stay with Certo," She whimpered.

"Maya, I'm sure Certo has his share of difficulties as it is," Thundra scolded. "Don't be selfish and burden him any further."

"It's fine," Certo muttered, trying to keep his voice low. "She can come with me for a little while. I'll protect her with my life."

Crona stiffened up at that. All of a sudden she felt like something was twisting her heart into a knot. The more she looked at Certo, the more she began to get the feeling that their time together was not going to last much longer. "I guess it had to happen at some point," Crona mumbled to herself. After all, she was from a completely different time period. She would have to go home sooner or later.

"Alright then." Thundra nodded her approval. "But Maya, you behave and don't give Certo any trouble. Do you understand?"

"Yes!" Maya chirped, jumping to her feet excitedly.

"Alright then," Amp announced readily. "Let's get to work. We only have a few hours left until the search party goes out again."

"Come on Maya," Certo coaxed as he and Crona turned towards the upper levels of the city. Maya hurried alongside the black dragon, grinning up at him with each step she took. Crona continued to stare at the black dragon as they made their way to their first target pavilion. Seeing him like this made her wonder about how he and Neros might have been when they were young. Had Certo acted towards Neros the way he acted towards Maya just now? It made her sad to think that such a strong bond between two brothers could be broken so easily.

"So what's the plan Crona?" Certo asked softly.

"Huh?" Crona shook her head and blinked herself awake.

Certo stared hard at her. "Are you okay? You really seem to have a lot on your mind lately."

"You're one to talk," Crona retorted. "But I'm fine. Just trying to figure some things out for myself."

"I see." Certo nodded as he came to a stop in front of the first pavilion.

Seeing his cue, Crona walked up and tapped on the wall beside the entrance. A moment later, a tall lightning male emerged, blinking into the sunlight. He looked down at the three youngsters with a curious expression. "May I help you?" He was clearly sleepy, possibly after having just been woken up.

"Sorry to bother you," Crona apologized, bowing politely. "We are here on behalf of the city guard."

The male seemed to perk up slightly. "Oh? What seems to be the trouble? And why would the guard send three young dragons to speak for them?"

Crona's talons flexed slightly. She did not like to be looked down upon by anyone, but right now she would have to stay her pride. "We're volunteers for their cause. I'm sure you've heard about one of our fellow dragons going missing?" The male nodded. "Well, we have been helping to search for her alongside the city guards, but with things as hectic as they have been lately, their squads have been spread dangerously thin. So we thought it would be a good idea to ask around and see if any one would be willing to spare some time and assist in the search efforts."

The male stared at Crona as he thought about her proposal. Seeing his deep thoughts, Crona decided to add in another point.

"It doesn't have to be for very long. Any help that anyone can provide would be of tremendous value to us."

"Hm," the yellow dragon nodded. "Perhaps. I shall consider it."

"Thank you very much. And thank you very much for your time." Crona bowed and turned to leave. "If you are able to provide any assistance, Captain Cytros has requested volunteers report to the sentries around the city. They can give you further instructions from there."

"I thank you for the information young one." The dragon bobbed his head gratefully. "Good luck with your search."

As Crona led Certo and Maya away, the black dragon moved up close alongside her. "How come you didn't wait until he gave a yes or no answer?" He asked. "If he said no, we could have at least persuaded him to reconsider."

"Because Certo," Crona started, glancing at him out of the corner of her eye. "You can't try and force anyone to do anything. Your brother is not the diplomatic type, but these dragons are not like him. Just having him take our request into consideration is enough. We want them to know that we need their help without demanding it of them. Otherwise we won't receive anything from them."

"Oh," Certo nodded. "So you're letting them choose for themselves whether or not to help?"

"Exactly."

"And if they choose not to and things go sour?"

Crona sighed and shrugged. "Then there's nothing we could have done. This society has to choose for itself whether or not it wants to survive this war. The more the citizens help out, the more likely they are to pull through. If not," she turned to look the black dragon in the eyes. "Then our kind is doomed." Certo stopped dead in his tracks. For the first time, he caught a glimpse of what Crona was really talking about. As he watched her walk ahead of him and Maya, he began to see her for what she really was: a dragoness who had experienced more hardship than he ever could have realized.

"Come on Certo," Crona called back to him. "I'll show you." The black dragon hurried after her as she came to her next target pavilion. He watched her patiently as she tapped on the entrance, and repeated the same proposal to the dragon couple who answered her call. This couple seemed slightly more intrigued by the white dragoness's dilemma and readily agreed to help out with the search efforts. Crona spent the next several minutes explaining what was to be done in order to help the search go along more smoothly. The couple thanked her as she returned to Certo with a smile on her face. "See. Same tactic. Different results."

"I see." Certo nodded, beginning to understand.

"I hope so," Crona said, looking at him sidelong. "If you think about it enough you'll see some similarities between now and your past."

Certo nodded, as much as he did not want to admit she was right. "I wasn't trying to hurt anyone," He mumbled, hanging his head. Maya looked up at him and Certo could see his baby sister in her eyes. "No one was supposed to be hurt."

"It's not your fault Certo," Crona placed a paw under his chin and lifted his face to hers. "Just because Neros chose the path of darkness, doesn't mean it was your fault. You treated him with kindness and compassion. But he chose to ignore it. You had no say in what his decisions were."

"It still doesn't make it any easier," Certo grumbled.

"I would be extremely surprised if it were easy," Crona replied. "But that's why you work hard to preserve the lives around you now. Trust me, it'll work out in the end."

Hearing her words of confidence seemed to make Certo believe in her more. "Thank you." He nodded with a faint smile.

"You're welcome." Crona nodded. "You want to try the next pavilion?"

"Do you really think I can do it?" Certo raised a skeptical brow. "You seem to be doing well enough on your own."

"True." Crona beamed with pride. "But I think you should learn to speak more openly with others yourself. It'll do you some good."

"You're one to talk," Certo pointed out.

"Don't start that now." Crona frowned. "Just give it a shot. That's all I'm asking."

"Alright then." Certo sighed as he lifted his long neck to look around. "I think I'll try that one." He pointed a claw at a very elaborately designed pavilion up the street a little ways. "Come on Maya," he called as he hurried towards it, feeling more confident in himself.

Crona smiled as she watched him hustle along. As she followed she began to notice the familiarity of the building. She felt like she had been there before, despite not having toured the city very much in her free time. "Why does it feel like I know that..." Certo stopped in front of the door and wrapped his claws loudly on the side of the entrance.

Just then Crona realized where she had seen this particular home before. "Certo! No! Stop! Not that one!" She shouted, bounding towards him.

"What? Why?" Certo turned to look at her with a confused look on his face. The front curtain was parted and Volcanus emerged, blinking into the sunlight. Crona stopped dead in her tracks as the former fire guardian stared down at the black dragon before him. Certo turned around and froze before the blue fire-breather. Volcanus' orange eyes narrowed at the young male who stood with his mouth fallen open in dismay.

Much to Crona's surprise the former guardian did not speak a word; but the silence was beginning to get to Certo who remained petrified in his presence. Maya looked curiously from the fire dragon to Certo, not sure what was going on. A series of nervous squeaks escaped from Certo's throat as he tried to talk and for words.

"If you have business with me I suggest you state whatever it may be and quickly." Volcanus growled.

"Uh, I... uh..." Certo swallowed hard. "I... was... I was sent here... out here... on behalf of the city guard," He stammered. Just hearing himself speak those words brought back some of his composure, allowing him to continue. "We've been searching for Sabre, the dragoness who has been lost for a couple days now. But, we need the help of more than just the city guard. So I... um, I mean, we, were going about the city, asking if anyone would be willing to help out with our search."

He had done it. He had spoken his purpose to the very dragon who had tried to prosecute him for nearly nothing, and had done so in a composed manner, despite his nervous jitters.

Volcanus looked down at Certo for a long hard moment. The black dragon stood his ground, his fierce eyes staring up into the for fire guardian's fiery orbs. Maya, sensing that something was definitely wrong between them, huddled closer to Certo and shied away from Volcanus under his wing. The blue dragon let a low growl rumble in his throat and Certo's claws dug into the stone.

"I see you haven't changed one bit, feral," Volcanus hissed, noticing the gesture. "I have to ask though, why would you come to seek help from those you are bringing damnation upon?" Certo's mouth fell open as if to speak but Volcanus continued. "Our society was perfect until the day you arrived. Though I do suppose we have our little white dragoness to thank for that." He glanced over at Crona who stood in the middle of the street, unsure of whether or not to got over and help or let Certo continue on his own.

"You leave Crona out of this," Certo hissed, the wind suddenly picking up. "If you have any issues with me at all, then you bring them to me. She's innocent here. I won't have another innocent lost because of me."

Volcanus sneered at the young male. "I'm glad that you realize this is all your doing, young Certo. But that does not, in turn, account for the lives that you have destroyed, or have been lost because of your presence in our city."

"It was not my fault," Certo growled, lowering his gaze. He could feel the hate swelling up inside his heart, and the weight of the world pressing down on him. "I didn't ask for any of this to happen."

"But the fact is that it did," Volcanus pointed out. "But you can still redeem yourself."

"Redeem myself?" Certo lifted his gaze to the fire-breather again.

Volcanus nodded. "You can return to your fellow dragons who have chosen to follow you into the darkness that lays ahead. You can return and tell then the truth."

"Truth?" Certo raised a suspicious brow. "Truth about what?"

"What you really are. You're a bringer of death and destruction. Even if you have a so-called brother that is causing the deaths of dragons everywhere, he's only here because of you."

"That's not my fault either," Certo's growl was growing louder.

"But it is," Volcanus continued. "Because you insist on staying within this city, he has targeted my people, inflicting pain and suffering on all who meet him. Surely you know why your so-called friend Sabre has left you. It's because of you that her proud family is now dead. Because of you, she has become an orphan. Just as you claim to be. You brought it upon yourself and have now spread it to another. And this will continue until the day you realize that your very presence will only bring suffering to those around you."

"I don't believe you." Certo spat, hitting the blue dragon's feet with his saliva.

"Oh but you know it is true," Volcanus scoffed, keeping his voice low. "You see it every day. You wouldn't be here right now at my doorstep unless you believed it. It's because of you the entire city is being asked to search for one lost soul, that you led astray." Volcanus lowered his head until his eyes were level with Certo's. "You can say you don't believe all you want, but the fact of the matter is, you're an omen. An omen of bad luck and darkness."

"That isn't true!" Certo grit his teeth, grinding them furiously.

"I'm not asking you to believe what is right in front of your eyes, black dragon. But know that all you have to do to redeem yourself is to leave my city with my people in my control once more." Volcanus's eyes darted to Maya who was peeking out from under Certo's wing. "And I don't know what mother in their right mind would allow you to have custody over their child, but I suggest you keep a close eye on her." He looked Certo in the eye again and grinned slightly. "I'd hate for anything to happen to her just because she's around you."

"Let's go, Maya!" Certo snarled, startling the young dragoness. He turned sharply, keeping her close to his side.

Volcanus stood upright as he watched them go. "I'll be sure to lend my assistance if you still require it," He called after Certo, putting the final nail into his heart.

Certo returned to where Crona stood. "Come on Crona, let's move on." He growled, pushing past her. The white dragoness glanced quickly from Volcanus to Certo, and followed after him. "What did he say? Did he really mean it that he was going to help us?"

"I don't care," Certo thought to himself. "I don't care anymore. I don't care about what anyone thinks! I hate everyone!"

Crona could see the tears glossing over the black dragon's eyes. Something had gotten to him, and she feared that her words of inspiration had been brought down along with his spirit.

Behind them, Volcanus watched them go with a satisfied smile on his muzzle. The sounds of beating wings grabbed his attention, and he turned to see his grandson land up the hill a few yards with several of his classmates trailing behind him.

"What was all that about?" Titanus asked gruffly, glaring after Certo as he walked beside Crona.

"Nothing of great importance," Volcanus replied. "We were just asked to lend our efforts in assisting with the search for one of your former classmates."

"Boring." Titanus scoffed. "Why should we have to help common dragons? Especially that filthy feral? It's his mess, let him clean it up."

"Because," Volcanus stared his grandson in the eyes. "If we get the others to see the error of their ways, we may have a chance at ridding ourselves of him entirely."

"It's about damned time." Titanus sneered. "Too bad it took you losing your title in front of the whole city to realize that's what needed to be done. Heck, I would have even disposed of him myself if you had just given me permission."

A heavy blow landed on Titanus's muzzle. The bulky, blue dragon crumbled to the ground and found his grandfather's heavy paw pressed against his throat, pinning him down. Mateo, Frisco and the other dragons of his gang jumped in surprise and held their breath; none of them had seen their fire guardian act in such a way before.

Volcanus brought his face down to his grandson's and bared his teeth. "You will do no such thing unless I say it is necessary! Do I make myself clear?"

Titanus snarled in defiance. "If you had just taken the simple and direct approach, none of this would have happened you old fool!" He began to cough as the elder dragon pressed harder on his larynx.

"I have already spoken to you before about using violence to get what you want. It will never work out in your favor."

"I beg to differ," Titanus wheezed. "Once I become guardian, you'll see."

"Indeed we shall," Volcanus said, stepping back, allowing Titanus to get to his feet. "But for now we have more important issues to deal with."

"Certo, are you sure you're okay?" Crona asked, for what felt like the one hundredth time that evening.

"Crona, I'm fine!" Certo snapped. "Just leave me alone!" The black dragon had been exceptionally hostile ever since the two of them had dropped Maya off with Thundra, late that afternoon. The rest of the time the two of them had been out, Crona had done all the talking while Certo stayed with Maya in the background, remaining silent the entire time. When they were finally alone, Crona had pressed urgently to get any sort of straight answer out of the black dragon about what had happened beforehand. However, the more she pressed, the more tightlipped Certo became.

As the black dragon walked away from her, Crona began to worry more and more. She could not confront Volcanus directly; it would only cause more tension between him and Certo.

"What should I do?" Crona asked Stratus after telling him the situation.

"This is most troublesome indeed," The librarian pondered aloud. "We cannot ignore any aid given to us, even if it happens to be from Volcanus. But you are correct in your prediction, that it will cause more harm than good with Certo around."

"But I can't tell Certo not to join in the search." Crona shook her head. "It would kill him."

"I could not very well ask him myself either." Stratus agreed. "I fear it may come down to you though."

"I need to be there for him in case something does happen." Crona nodded, a stern look appearing in her fierce blue eyes. Stratus bobbed his head.

"You most likely will have to improvise on the spot if things get ugly between them."

"That's what I was afraid of," Crona grumbled as she thought back to all the previous times she had had to deal with Volcanus and Tectonica.

"Crona, if anyone is capable of looking after Certo like a true friend should, it's you." Crona looked up into the earth dragon's eyes. "You're the one friend whom he trusts and relies on the most in this world. You see how much he suffers each day. Don't let him down."

"I won't." Crona shook her head. She knew he was right.

Stratus smiled, seeing that she understood how important she was in relation to the black dragon. "Go on now. Stay close to him and do what you can to protect him."

"I'll do my very best." Crona nodded and hurried out of the library. Once outside she spread her wings and glided down to the lower levels of the city where she found Cytros, Kia and the refreshed guards assembling in front of the dragon council chambers. Certo stood off to the side in the growing shadows as the sun set over the horizon. Much to Crona's surprise, every dragon she had spoken to that afternoon had shown up. They all bowed and greeted her politely as they waited for Cytros to begin giving out orders. Crona walked over to Certo and stood beside him silently. She knew he would not be in a chatty mood, but she was still intent on standing by him.

Shortly after she had shown up, a hush went over the crowd. Crona immediately knew who had shown up. Subconsciously she scooted closer to Certo, not realizing she had brushed against his shoulder. The black dragon tensed his muscles as soon as he caught sight of Volcanus. The former fire guardian paid the black dragon no mind. Much to Certo and Crona's dismay, he had not come alone. Alongside him were Tectonica, and Titanus. Trailing behind him were his friends who seemed to be keeping their distance.

"Oh, no," Crona muttered, catching Certo's attention.

"Don't worry," The black dragon growled, the hate in his heart distorting his voice. "I won't let them touch you." Crona turned to see crimson bolts crackle around his feet.

"Certo," Crona whispered, not wanting to draw attention towards them. "I want you to go about your own business as if they weren't here. You won't be able to get anything done if you're constantly worrying about what they might say or do." The black dragon's growl seemed to subside and the crackling stopped. Crona sighed with relief, seeing that she was getting through to him. "I'll stay close to you if you stay close to me." Certo turned and looked her in the eyes; she was dead serious.

"Alright," He agreed. "I never thought I'd say this, but I think I need you more now than ever." Crona instantly felt her cheeks burn as she recalled Stratus's words from before. She turned back towards the former guardians. It was then they noticed a lone blue dragon in gold armor, a noticeable scar down his right eye. Cryus locked eyes with the couple and immediately averted his gaze from Crona. The dragoness sighed sadly and looked at her paws. She knew he was not evil or twisted like Volcanus and Tectonica, but it still pained her to see him in pain.

All of a sudden, Certo started coughing hard. He raised his forelimb and coughed hard into the back of his paw. "Are you alright?" Crona asked worriedly. It was not like him to cough for any reason.

"I'm fine," Certo wheezed, turning his head away from here. "Just breathed wrong."

Crona did not believe his lie for one second. But she felt compelled to go along with it seeing that he was already in a foul mood.

Certo spat against the wall of the pavilion he was next to and turned back to the group of dragons. "Come on, let's get this over with."

Crona watched him walk up beside Cytros before looking at the wall. It was covered in blood. Crona's eyes grew wide in horror as she turned back to the black dragon. He stood calmly beside Cytros as Volcanus and his procession joined the company of dragons. Certo was hiding a lot more than she had even imagined.

"Volcanus," Cytros spoke rather hesitantly upon seeing the former fire guardian. "I see you were given information about our search tonight." The fire guard glanced down at Certo who stared straight ahead as Crona walked up beside him.

"That I was," the blue dragon nodded. "Young Certo was willing to ask me and my fellow dragons for assistance." He looked down at the young male. "Despite our rough history together. Isn't that right, young dragon."

"You're here aren't you?" Certo responded rather coldly.

"And I thank you for giving me an opportunity to make a difference in your search." Volcanus nodded.

"I'm actually... rather surprised Certo invited you along." Cytros narrowed his eyes at the blue dragon and his procession. "But I suppose that anything is possible."

"As Certo has shown us time and time again." Volcanus smiled. Behind him Tectonica retained a sour look as she stared hard at the black dragon. Titanus eyed Crona like a hawk staring down its prey. The white dragoness continued to ignore him, focusing on the black dragon beside her.

"Then let's start dividing into groups," Cytros ordered, turning to the rest of the crowd. "Judging by how many have shown up, we will be breaking the groups up into twenty-four teams of twelve. This will allow us to expand our search much farther than before. We will start at the outer wall and comb the forest for any sign of Sabre. Sabre, in case you do not know her, is a blue dragoness, early juvenile years. She's not usually the shy type but she may have changed since she lost her parents in the last attack, so be gentle if you come across her. Everyone is to stay within earshot of one another, that way if there is any trouble, help will be close by. Is that clear?"

"Yes sir!" The sentries chimed in together. The rest of the volunteering dragons nodded in response.

Cytros smiled, pleased to see that everyone was ready to work. Certo and Crona stood off to the side as the sentries went about splitting up into groups. As they went about their business, Titanus slipped by the adults and made his way over to the couple.

"Hey there, babe. Long time no see."

Crona only yawned and laid her head on Certo's shoulder. She felt the black dragon stiffen even more. She froze time leaving only herself and Certo immune to its effects. "Play along," She murmured before releasing her hold.

"Come to help us out, have you, Titanus?" She sighed, trying to sound bored.

The blue dragon curled his lip at Certo. The black dragon narrowed his eyes in response and lashed the air with his tail blade, warning off the blue bully. "I just wanted to let you know that I'll find your friend, and you'll see who the real hero is here."

"Oh? And is that you?" Crona asked, mockingly.

"Who else?" Titanus sneered. "It's not that black feral you're resting your pretty little head on."

Crona could feel Certo's body temperature rising. Any minute he would lash out with his new power and surely make a mess of an already bad situation. "I think Certo is more of a male than you'll ever be," She scoffed. "But enough idle chatter. We have work to do." She lifted her head from Certo's shoulder and walked briskly past Titanus. "See you later blue boy."

Titanus watched the two smaller dragons go before grinding his claws into the street. He desperately wanted to pounce on the black dragon and tear him to shreds, just to get at the white dragoness he desired so much. Nothing was stopping him from taking what he wanted. Titanus whirled around only to find Crona and Certo gone. The two of them had disappeared into the crowd of dragons. The groups were splitting up and going their separate ways to begin the search for Sabre once again.

For Cytros, the search was relatively silent. He had specifically picked Volcanus, Tectonica, and Titanus to be alone with him, should they resort to their old ways and stir up trouble amongst the other groups. However, he did not expect it to be this tense between the four of them. The first couple hours of combing through the forest resulted in very minimal words being exchanged between them. The only real comments came from Volcanus who scolded his grandson to be more adamant in his search efforts. Seeing this, Cytros felt himself able to relax slightly, but did not let his guard down. He could not afford to when the darkness of the night did little to reveal the location of any dangers that may be lurking about in the shadows.

A little after midnight, Cytros called for a short break once the group had reached the creek. It was then Volcanus decided to break the thick ice between them.

"So, old friend. How have the patrols been going since our removal from office? Everything quiet I assume?"

"As of late, yes." Cytros nodded.

"That is good to hear." Volcanus bobbed his head as he finished another mouthful of cool water. "I was worried things would begin to spiral out of control."

"What do you mean?" Cytros asked, raising a skeptical brow at the blue fire-breather.

"Without any order, or leadership, I was afraid that the city would tear itself apart." Volcanus lifted his gaze to look Cytros in the eyes. The orange fire guard's yellow eyes seemed to glow in the moonlight as he stared down the former guardian. "After all, you are following the so-called leadership of a feral."

"Watch your tongue, Volcanus," Cytros warned with a low growl. "You have no right to speak of Certo that way."

"All is free within this city, is it not?" Tectonica demanded, speaking for the first time that night. "We may not be in power because of that dragon, but it doesn't mean we don't have the same rights as everyone else."

"Was that the same treatment you gave Certo?" The orange dragon turned to fix the earth dragoness with a disgusted look.

"Was it the same you gave him?" Volcanus asked calmly, turning the question against its owner.

"I'm not claiming to be innocent of prejudice. But I'm trying to make up for my past sins." The captain narrowed his eyes and curled his lip. "As is everyone else."

"Are you so certain that you're trying to make up for your sins and not just blindly committing more?" Volcanus questioned, patiently waiting for the captain to tread upon his territory.

"What are you getting at Volcanus? Certo has done nothing to cause anyone extra harm. Ever. We believed you and the other guardians that he was bringing about death and destruction upon our city. But you betrayed our trust. You betrayed us! While my fellow guards and I were out patrolling the city and helping to protect the city, Certo was right there with us, offering any help he could. All the while you offered no additional assistance. Everything that has been done to change the city has been the work of Certo and Crona. They are the ones who truly care about those who live here."

"If you are claiming that I do not care about those who should be under my jurisdiction, then you are just as guilty, if not more so," Volcanus pointed out sharply.

"I am nothing like you Volcanus," Cytros spat, a tuft of flame hitting the forest floor.

The former fire guardian stamped the fire out without so much as a wince. "Captain, you fail to realize that you are in charge of the guards who supposedly protect this city of ours. They blindly obey your every command and order. And yet you lead them straight to their deaths like moths to the flames."

"I have done no such thing," Cytros snarled.

"Oh, but you do," Volcanus continued and began to circle the captain. "You've seen it yourself. We have had more than one attack on our beloved city while you were in charge of the guards protecting it. I might also point out that you were following the order of the very dragon who brought all this havoc upon our home. And because of that, so many of our own have perished. Because of him and because of you."

Cytros only sneered at the blue dragon. "You clearly have no idea what you are talking about. It is our duty as sentries to put our lives on the line to protect those who reside within this city. Our sacrifices may help save future generations."

"There will be no future generation if you continue to follow alongside him!" Volcanus bellowed suddenly, causing the guard to take a defensive stance, wings spread wide in open challenge. "By associating yourself with him, you are sending your troops, your friends, into harm's way."

"It was part of the job when we signed on to become protectors of this city." Cytros snarled, bringing his snout close to Volcanus's. "Surely you realized that yourself when you summoned us for duty."

"I never dreamed you would be the cause of so much misery in our city." Volcanus shook his head in disappointment. "But let me ask you, when was the last time you relaxed? As in seriously lay down with your daughter not having to worry about an attack coming at any moment, or being dragged off for some unknown purpose?" Cytros was silent. He could honestly not remember the last time when he had felt like he had a carefree moment. "Probably not since Certo arrived," Volcanus pointed out, seeing that he had proved a point to the fire dragon. "So you see what he has brought to our society. Restlessness, anxiety, pain, suffering, worry, unbalance. If he continues to reside amongst us, our society will crumble for sure at this rate."

"So you're suggesting I shun him away?" Cytros glowered at the former guardian. "Turn him away as you once did. Banish him? Execute him?"

Volcanus nodded. "If that is what it takes to restore peace, then my answer is yes. If only I had done that before, we may not be here right now. But I failed to do my duty to protect this city in terms of fairness."

Cytros suddenly lashed out at the blue dragon, pinning him to a tree with his massive paw. Volcanus was caught off guard and although he was easily twice Cytros's weight, the suddenness of the strike put the younger male at an advantage. "You honestly believe that taking the life of a lost soul, an innocent, is fair just because of some superstition?"

"Not just a superstition, captain. Our very own oracle predicted this would happen." Volcanus did nothing to shove away the guard, but stared just as harshly back at him.

"I couldn't care less who it was from!" Cytros bellowed back. "You speak of fairness only when it's in favor of your motives, whatever they may be. But as soon as odds are no longer in your favor, you turn the tables and warp the rules until things line up the way you want." Volcanus opened his mouth to speak but Cytros cut him off. "You honestly believe that simply ridding ourselves of Certo will make things better? In case you haven't noticed, your fellow dragons have come to accept Certo as a member of their society, despite being, as you call him, feral. He lives among us and he is here to stay. Whether Master Sin's prophecy involved Certo directly or not is no longer a concern with any of us. We are trying to move on and survive as a race of our own without worrying about who comes from where."

Cytros removed his paw from Volcanus's chest, allowing the bulky dragon to stand on his own. Cytros glared at him, ready to lash out once more should he cross the line again.

Volcanus turned with a calm air about him, despite the guard's hostility. "Captain, what you are trying to do is deal with a situation, rather than doing something about it. There is a solution to this problem, but you are only accepting life for what it is, rather than living it like you once did."

"Perhaps, perhaps not," Cytros retorted. "But as reality would have it, we can make our own decisions. Every last dragon who has shown up tonight is here by choice, not force."

"But do they know why?" Volcanus asked, intentionally drawing the fire guard into his web.

"They're here to help search for a youngling that is lost and may be in danger," Cytros replied, stating what he thought should have been an obvious answer.

"I mean, do they know why the dragoness is missing?"

"What are you getting at?" Cytros narrowed his eyes at him. Whatever Volcanus was planning, he was intent on following through with it, despite any efforts to dissuade him.

"I'm asking, do they know that it's because of that black dragon she's missing? That feral has no desire to look after others. He only concerns himself with his own survival. He is incapable of coordinating himself in an environment where we all rely on each other as a whole."

Cytros brought his face closer to Volcanus's again. "You have not the slightest inkling about what Certo has gone through, or done for others. He always thinks of others, even if it does often come across as self-centered and rude. But I have seen the true intentions of his heart and his desire to help others. You have no right to make such claims about him."

"Oh, don't I?" Volcanus sneered, pressing his snout against the fire guard's. "When the time comes, you will see his true feral nature take over any domestication he may have picked up. Savagery is all feral dragons know. He will turn on you and everyone else sooner or later." The blue dragon straightened up and brushed past the armored fire guard. "But I shall let you wait until that happens. You'll see my point."

All of a sudden a shrill cry echoed across the forest. Kia was sounding the alarm that trouble was afoot. The four dragon search party turned towards the sound as the wind carried the warning far and wide.

Volcanus scoffed as he headed in the direction of the noise. "It seems like we'll find out sooner than expected."

Crona stood frozen in the middle of the field where she had been training Certo just days before. At the opposite end of the field, a horde of apes stood ready for battle; clutching spears, blades, and make-shift shields in their furry hands. Beside her, the black dragon stood in a low stance with his teeth bared and wings spread in open challenge to the pale white dragon who stared back at them.

Beside the couple, Kia braced herself, ready for an attack at any moment. She had sent the call far and wide, hoping to get as many of her fellow dragons to hear it as possible. The other dragons of the group, all volunteers, stood behind them, looking rather nervous about facing the dangers they had come to fear so much. The apes grinned and gnashed their yellow teeth in the moonlight and drummed the bottoms of their spears on the ground, chanting in a "Hah," sound.

A sudden extension of Neros's wing silenced the barbarians. Certo glared at his twin and ground his teeth harder.

"Neros."

"So you did miss me, Certo." The albino snickered. "It's been longer than I would have cared for, but you know how recovery is. When you sustain more injuries, they take longer to recuperate."

"When I'm done with you this time, there won't be enough of you to even think of such a thing!" Certo snarled, charging forward.

"Ah, ah!" Neros scolded, dropping his wing. An ape covered in wooden armor stepped forward and Certo stopped dead in his tracks. The ape lifted a tied and gagged, blue dragoness by the tail off the ground and held her for the dragons to see.

"Sabre!" Certo gasped. The young dragoness was awake but not looking particularly comfortable. She had a few bruises here and there and a nasty scabbing gash on the side of her head. She gave a muffled cry when she saw Certo standing alone in the field with the other dragons behind him. More sentries were showing up with their squads by the second. Each arrival meant more dragons against apes, should the situation become more hostile than it already was.

"You wouldn't want anything to happen to your little friend here would you?" Neros asked in a mocking tone. "She seems to be very fond of you from what she's told me."

"You're going to regret touching her, Neros!" Certo shouted, taking a bolder step forward. His twin did not so much as flinch.

"Certo, you don't have to get all flustered over something I didn't do. It was my troops who were in charge of how well she was being taken care of. All things considered, I believe they did a pretty good job." The albino narrowed his eyes at his brother. "Unless you're saying you would rather her end up like the rest of the so-called family."

"Don't you dare!" Certo charged forward again.

"Certo, no!" Kia shouted and Crona took a subconscious step forward herself. The ape holding onto Sabre lifted her higher and brought his dagger to her throat. Certo stopped once again and ground his teeth furiously. Neros had led them into a trap where the status quo was not in their favor.

"Easy there, brother," Neros warned. "I wouldn't want anything to happen to your beloved mate here."

"She's not my mate," Certo hissed. The dragons' heads turned as Cytros, Volcanus, Tectonica and Titanus descended from the sky. Cytros glanced between the twin black dragons. This was his first time seeing the two of them in the same place together, and their resemblance astounded him. Even Titanus looked shocked to see a mirrored version of the dragon he hated most.

"I couldn't care less." Neros yawned, purposely trying to aggravate his twin. "But I'm not here to fight, believe it or not."

Certo cocked his head suspiciously and Crona's heart began to race in her chest. Kia looked down at the white dragoness as she unknowingly moved closer to her leg.

"If you're not here for a fight, then what are you here for Neros?" Certo growled, digging his claws into the earth.

"I'm here for an exchange," Neros snickered. He glanced at the ape dangling Sabre by her tail. "You can have your little friend back, but in return I want her." The albino pointed a claw across the field at Crona who immediately became petrified on the spot. Her eyes grew wide as they darted between the brothers. She could feel every set of eyes focus on her.

"Crona?" Kia asked, still rather confused by the young dragon's declaration.

"What are you planning, Neros?" Certo demanded, taking another step forwards. "Why are you going after Crona? She has nothing of value to you!"

Now it was the albino's turn to raise his brows in surprise. "You can't be serious."

"Serious about what?" Certo growled, the wind rustling through the trees and picking up speed. "Her? You bet I'm serious about keeping her away from filth like you."

"Don't be so hasty with your words Certo," Volcanus spoke up, grabbing the other dragons' attention. "You don't want to say the wrong thing and have your brother change his mind."

Neros recognized the blue fire-breather and scowled at him before turning back to his twin. "He may have a point there Certo. I may just change my mind and decide to kill your little friend here after all." He whipped out his tail and held his blade at Sabre's throat. The ice dragoness squeaked in fright and squeezed her eyes tightly shut for a moment, expecting to feel the sting of pain at any second. "I could easily take her life and come back for that one another time. It's up to you!"

Certo gritted his teeth tightly as he glanced back at Crona then to Sabre. The ice dragoness's pleading stare locked with his.

"We will accept your offer, young dragon," Volcanus said, stepping forward.

"No!" Certo snapped.

"No?" Volcanus tilted his head at Certo sidelong, making sure the young male could see him out of the corner of his vision. "You would risk the life of the dragoness you, and everyone else here, have been searching for, for so many days?"

"That's... that's not it!" Certo snarled, turning to face to blue dragon.

Neros smiled to himself. He enjoyed seeing his brother struggling in his mental torment. For further effect, he pressed an extruded barb on his tail blade against Sabre's neck, just above her clavicle. The dragoness stifled a cry as tears began to trickle from her eyes.

"What will it be Certo?" Volcanus asked in a slightly hushed tone. "Will you comply and save the life of an innocent at the cost of a friend? Or will you prove your heartless nature to the rest of the city by protecting that white nuisance."

Certo turned his head to look the fire-breather in the eye. "You take that back!" He shouted. Off to the side, Crona could see what was going to happen, and she had to put a stop to it. She, however, was not the only one noticing the situation taking a darker turn.

"Volcanus, what's going on?" Cytros demanded, walking over to them.

Volcanus raised his head up and stared down at the black dragon. "What will you do, Certo?" He asked in a rather loud voice for the other dragons to hear. "Will you lose something of value to you to save something of value to us?"

"Shut up!" Certo shouted, shaking his head, trying to drown out the blue dragon's plaguing, agonizing voice.

"Don't run away from your responsibilities black dragon!" Volcanus bellowed. You have the power! Use it!"

"Stop it!" Certo shouted, his scars began to flash with crimson energy and he clutched at his throbbing chest with one paw. The taste of blood was returning and he could feel himself slipping into a mental void.

"That is enough Volcanus!" Cytros snarled, shoving the former guardian out of the way. "You cannot expect Certo to make this decision himself!"

"Can't I?" The elder snarled in return. "You, the captain of the city's protectors, would follow blindly with this young outsider who knows nothing of being civilized, much less democracy, and have him put the lives of your friends and family at risk? How dare you call yourself a captain, much less a dragon!"

"I've had enough of this!" Every head turned to see Crona walk up beside Certo. "I'll go on my own free will."

"Now we're getting somewhere." Neros snickered, clearly enjoying the spectacle before him.

Crona turned a hateful glare on Certo's brother. She had half the mind herself to walk over and give him a thrashing he so richly deserved. Neros only sneered at her. He jerked his head towards the ape beside him and Sabre was cut free. She hit the ground hard with a startled squawk, causing the apes to laugh.

"Go. Now!" Neros ordered before lowering his voice. "And enjoy what time you have left with my brother."

Sabre's eyes grew wide at that. She was about to speak when Neros jabbed her in the hind quarters with his tail blade. Sabre jumped, stumbling forward, hobbling on her hurt leg.

Across the way, Crona saw her coming over. She sighed and leaned close to Certo. Much to his surprise she nuzzled her cheek against his before turning to face his twin.

"C-Crona! Wait!" Certo gasped, turning to watch her go. The dragoness ignored him and steadily proceeded to walk out into the field, meeting Sabre half way.

Certo remained speechless. Crona was willing to put her life on the line just to make sure Sabre was safe, and what had he done? Nothing. Crona was his only close friend left in this world. His brother wanted her for reasons no one could give him. "No. Not Crona," He growled in his mind. He glared at Neros who sat patiently before the anxious apes. "You... You can't... You can't have her!" Just as Crona was about to reach Sabre, Certo let out a furious roar, startling the dragons around him and the apes across the field. The barbarians gripped their weapons in sudden fear, and Crona turned to look back at him with a frightened look on her face.

"Certo no! Don't!" She hollered back. But the black dragon was already in a state of deep rage. His scars lit up and his eye started glowing again. Certo charged forward, springing over Crona and Sabre and landing between them and his brother, who looked rather composed despite the sudden outburst.

"I don't know what you want with Crona, Neros," he growled, his voice warping from the energy billowing around him. "But if you want her you'll have to go through me first! I won't let you have her!"

Neros only laughed as he got to his feet. He could already see his plan coming to fruition. "Oh, my dear twin brother. I won't have to throw a single blow at you. You'll do all that for me."

"I'm going to kill you this time, for sure!" Certo roared, sending a sonic shock wave through the lines of apes.

"Then don't keep me waiting." Neros sneered as convexity began massing about his pale form. "Show me how powerful you truly are!"

"No Certo! It's a trap!" Sabre screamed, whirling around.

Crona's eyes widened as she glanced from Sabre to Neros. "Certo wait! Don't do it!" But her voice was drowned out by the thunderous roar that ripped across the night sky.


	28. Chapter 28

Sabre watched in horror as Certo lunged for his twin. The black dragons met each other head on, clashing in a fluctuation of red-violet energy. Everyone watched as the brothers rolled across the ground, snarling, clawing and biting one another like a couple of savage beasts. Her heart raced in her chest as she watched the male she adored transform into a bloodthirsty monster before her very eyes.

"Sabre, let's go!" Crona shouted, stepping in front of her and pushing her back towards the line of dragons. Sabre clumsily staggered back, keeping her eyes on Certo the entire time.

As she watched the brawl continue, one thought crossed her mind. "What have I done?"

It was relatively easy for Sabre to slip silently through the underbrush as the two apes dragged off the body of their dead comrade. The scent of fresh blood was easy to follow as she flicked her tongue out, tasting the air to sense how close her targets were.

She had followed them just over a mile out from where they had confronted the black dragon, after his training session for the day, before they stopped in another open field. At the edge of the clearing, Sabre hunkered down in the long grass, and watched as the apes set the body down. They began using their heavy blade weapons to dig up the soft dirt.

Neither of the two brutes spoke. After the better part of two hours, they had dug a hole deep enough to lay their dead partner in. As they began using their hands to pile the dirt back onto the hole, the looks of scorn and hate could be seen clearly in the setting sun. The rays of light formed sharp shadow shapes across their muzzles, revealing the deep scowls they wore. When they were finished with the burial, they paused for several minutes, standing silently over the grave.

A gentle wind blew across the field and one ape curled his lip. "It still smells like dragon out here," he growled. Sabre huddled closer to the ground and held her breath, listening to the throbbing of her heart in her chest.

"Tell me about it," the other spoke. "But then that's all we can ever smell anymore. When we go home. When we go to scout out that city." He looked back towards the dragon city in the distance. "Why is it we seem to be losing more of our own than doing any serious harm to those cursed dragons?"

"It wasn't like that before," The first ape muttered. "I think in the first couple attacks we took quite a few of their heads."

"But that changed last time. They were ready for us. I don't know how, but we barely did any serious harm to them. It's like they're getting stronger. Smarter."

The first ape only spat in the dirt. "Those monsters will never be able to overthrow us. We have the advantage of numbers on our side. They can't fight all of us at once."

"Are you so certain?"

"What do you mean?"

"The very dragon who has been giving us orders for almost the past year has the ability to wipe our entire race out with a breath. I don't think he literally could, but it's a possibility. And as we found out, there's another like him with just as much power."

Sabre bit her lip as she thought back to watching Certo train. He had indeed gotten remarkably stronger; far more than she had seen in any dragon in such a short period of time. The thought of him with his scars and bad eye blazing red frightened her.

"And who knows how many other dragons there are that possess that much power," The ape continued. "We found this out the hard way. How many more of our brothers must we lose until we get what we want? Or will we just continuously run into more powerful dragons because our so-called master insists on dragging out this little crusade of his?"

The first ape's arm snapped out and clasped his brother's mouth shut. "I really hope we're alone right now. Because if the master were here, he'd have you gutted on the spot."

"I want him to keep his promise to us," he growled, swatting the hand away.

"I believe he will," The other answered. "If you think about it, he's been more determined at finding that white dragon he said can make his plan come to fruition. If we can just capture her, then we won't have to worry about killing the others. We will have all the power we ever want right there with us."

Sabre's eyes grew wide and her mouth fell open. "Crona?"

"I think I've heard enough." The second ape sighed, his breath whistling between his long fangs. "We'd better report back soon or the master will have our heads anyway."

The two apes turned and disappeared into the underbrush leaving Sabre sitting in awe at what she had just heard. She remembered listening in on the conversation between the guardians and Vixen's father at the library, but had dismissed the idea of Crona being a target as nothing more than skepticism. A sudden chill ran up her spine, shaking her awake. She emerged from her hiding spot and slunk across the field, around the mound of dirt where the dead ape had been buried. When she reached the trees again she stopped and listened. After flicking her tongue out and tasting the air, she quickly realized that the apes were traveling fast and their scent was disappearing quickly.

Sabre plunged into the underbrush, darting from tree to tree, trying to catch up to the baboons. Far ahead, the apes swung nimbly through the branches, high above the forest floor. It would be a long journey before they made it back to their original territory.

The entire way back was spent trying to catch up for Sabre. She tripped and stumbled over rocks, branches and fallen logs as she tracked the movement of the apes ahead of her. The ice dragoness's legs and chest hurt; she felt as if her scales were on fire. What she was following them for, she had long since forgotten. All she could do was continue to taste the air and follow their trail. By the time their scent became stronger, Sabre realized how far away from home she really was.

The trees surrounding her no longer resembled the luscious green with vibrantly colored flowers speckled about the treetops. All around were dull, brown, dreary trunks with little to no leaves hanging from their bone-like branches. Sabre felt another chill run up her spine as she looked up at the branches stretching over her, blocking out what little light there was from the moons. If she wanted to fly away, the branches would not make it easy or painless.

By now the apes had reached the edge of their village high up in the canopy of the withering forest. Dried moss hung from the branches like dead, peeled flesh draped around the huts in protective bunches. The two apes Sabre had been following were just a few yards ahead of her in the branches above. Down on the ground, apes patrolled their village, looking more bored than anything else. Before Neros had come, guard shifts had not been enforced. Sabre paused, crouching low in the shadows beyond the torchlight of the forest. The village was extremely well lit, giving Sabre a good idea of how vast the apes' territory was. She could see huts on the ground as well as the trees stretching back as far as her vision would let her. If she were to cause a disturbance and fight her way out, there would be no way she would survive.

After taking a deep breath, the ice dragoness darted forward, silently moving across the ground. She kept to the shadows until she reached the first torch. At the edge of the shadows she leaped high and beat her wings once. The closest ape guard turned at the sudden sound and waved his hand torch, looking around. The baboon's beady eyes swept around the darkness of the night, searching for any movement; listening for anything out of the norm. He began to move on, but kept a weary eye on the forest beyond the edge of the village.

Sabre breathed a sigh of relief as she clutched the tree trunk above the ape's area of vision. She turned her attention back to the branches further in, spotting the two apes she had been tracking. They climbed the side of a tree and disappeared into one of the smaller huts built into the tree top. The ice dragoness adjusted her grip on the tree she was hugging and looked for the next hiding spot. She found a shadow two trees away and kicked off her first tree, gliding silently over the patrolling apes before coming to an unnoticed landing on a low-hanging branch.

Inside the target hut, Neros had waited patiently for his scouts to return. They had been gone far longer than the others that had been sent out. He had begun to expect that they had been found out and disposed of by the time darkness was falling. After the first day, there had been no word from them. The albino had been pacing about the hut trying to come up with a new idea on how to handle the situation when the scouts returned.

"You're both late," Neros growled, narrowing his ruby eyes at them.

"Forgive us Master." The apes lowered to their knees, bringing themselves to his level. "There was... a little trouble."

Neros's eyes seemed to spark with convexity and the apes' tensed at the sight of it. "Explain."

"We were discovered." The second ape sighed in shame. "The black one... your brother, discovered us. He... he didn't attack... at least... not right away." The first ape glanced at his partner then lifted his eyes to see Neros standing nose to nose with him. The baboon swallowed hard when he heard the tapping of the dragon's mercury tail blade against the wood floor. "He told us to return and deliver a message to you."

Neros's brows jumped slightly at this. "Oh? And what would my dear brother have to say to me that he would send you two back, and not tell me himself?"

The ape could feel his mouth go dry. The thought of the black dragon's glowing eye still terrified him. Seeing his fellow ape get cut down so fast and easily was beyond nerve-wracking; it was downright frightening.

Sensing the pause, Neros noticed that the scouts were one body short. Seeing what the message was, he nodded understanding the situation. "I see."

"M-Master?" The second ape spoke up. "If I may ask, what is your plan? Y-your brother... he murdered our brother with no mercy or delay. And it was with that red power he's learned."

"Was it now?" Neros's frown grew more serious. "How well was he able to use it?"

"Too well." The first ape replied. "He's already mastered it. The white dragoness you've been seeking has been teaching him how to use it."

"Damn it!" Neros shouted, his voice catching the attention of any nearby apes. In the adjacent tree, Sabre huddled close to the trunk, keeping in the shadows as best she could. The conversation was loud enough so it could be heard but not clear enough to make out every detail.

Neros began to glow with convexity as he summoned his power into a visible form. "That dragoness is becoming a thorn in my tail now. If she wasn't so valuable I'd have her butchered at the first chance we got."

Outside, Sabre coiled her legs underneath her and sprang towards the tree. She latched onto a branch just under the floor of the hut. Neros, sensing the sudden disturbance in the wind perked up and looked at his subordinates. "It seems that you two brought a visitor along." The apes glanced at each other, confusion written across their faces. Sabre stifled a gasp and covered her mouth with a paw. Was the dragon talking about her? If so, how could he have known? Certo was the same way.

Sabre held her breath, trying to breathe as silently as she could. Neros and the apes waited silently, Neros more than the baboons. Sabre's heart pounded against her chest. It was a small wonder they could not hear the rapid beating of her heart, giving her position away.

Just then there was a crack. Sabre froze as the noise continued. She looked down to see the branch she was perched on breaking beneath her weight. With one final snap, the tree limb gave way, dropping the screaming dragoness to the forest floor. A startled snarl came from the ape whose head she landed on, knocking him out. Sabre groaned as she sat up, dizzy from the sudden fall.

"A dragon!" An excited shout cut through the night air. Sabre blinked herself awake and looked around to see dozens of pairs of eyes locked on her. The apes had been alerted to her presence and were taking hold of their small weapons, slowly creeping towards her.

The ice dragoness back up against the tree, before turning to find her exit cut off by a trio of guards standing behind her, cutting off her escape.

"Come here, dragon!" An ape lunged for her only to grab nothing but air. Sabre jumped over his head, latching onto the face of the nearest ape, biting down on his muzzle. The ape snarled in pain, swatting the dragoness away. Sabre rolled across the ground as the apes started to close in.

In a flash, she was on her feet; icy particles spiraling around her body in a glistening white sheet. The apes lunged and immediately started clutching at their eyes as the jagged ice particles stung their faces. Sabre took the distraction as a chance to flee. She vaulted over the circle of apes and flapped her wings, desperately trying to get some air beneath them.

Above her, Neros waved a paw, dispersing the wind current and causing the young dragoness to hit the ground hard. The sudden lack of air scared Sabre as she jumped to her feet. The apes turned on her and howled excitedly. The blue dragoness ran as fast as she could, heading deeper into the apes' territory. An evil smile crept across Neros's muzzle. He spread his wings and joined the pursuit.

Sabre leaped and bounded over tree roots, flapping her wings like a limp goose trying to get off the ground. "What is going on?" She shouted in her mind. "Why can't I fly? What's happening to me?" Her lungs were beginning to burn and her body started to ache once again.

All around, apes emerged from their homes in time to see the dragoness run by and get shoved out of the way by the pursuing party. Sabre screamed as she tripped over a mangled tree root, hitting the ground and tumbling head over heels. The closest apes leaped high with their daggers raised. Sabre's heart skipped a beat before she opened her mouth to scream again; but instead of a scream, a beam of pure ice energy burst from the back of her throat.

The apes were frozen in mid-air before falling to the ground and shattering on impact. This brought the pursuit to an abrupt halt as the rest of the apes and Sabre stared at the frozen remains of her initial attackers. Neros hovered in place and bobbed his head in approval. It was an unexpected move but one he felt was well executed.

Since her assailants were distracted, Sabre scrambled to her feet and leaped into the air once more. She sprang off the trunk of a tree onto another before aiming towards the tops of the ape huts. After touching down on one of the rooftops, she leaped towards the open sky. Neros only smiled and inhaled deeply, drawing the wind away from her. Sabre screamed as she plummeted to the ground, hitting several branches before striking her head on a root. The blue dragoness gave a quick cry before lying completely still.

The apes, who had regrouped from their momentary shock, rushed forward, ready for an easy kill. A large, silver-backed ape shoved the others aside and raised his knife to plunge it into the dragoness's warm flesh. As he brought the weapon down, a white blur shot by, striking his hand and knocking the knife to the ground. The ape turned to see Neros standing beside him with a grin on his face.

"Not yet," He ordered. "I want to have some time with this one."

The apes looked around at one another in confusion. Neros straightened up as did the apes on reaction. "Gather her up and bring her back," he ordered. The apes moved to pick up the young dragoness and drag her back to Neros's hut. As they walked along, Neros stared for a long time at the young female. Under normal circumstances, he would have allowed for her life to be taken right away. But after learning about Crona's abilities, he was not going to be so hasty to take another life until he was certain she was expendable.

By the time Sabre regained consciousness, it had been two full days since she had arrived at the village. A groan escaped from her mouth as she slowly began to wake up. She opened her eyes and looked around the room. Sunlight shone through the gaps in the hut's walls, casting warm rays of light across her slender, blue body.

It was then Sabre remembered where she was. She jolted upright and was instantly greeted with an intense throbbing in her head. The dragoness groaned again, pressing a paw against her head. She could feel a nasty welt swelling up; touching it only made her headache worse.

"It's about time you woke up," Neros spoke, grabbing Sabre's attention. He had been sitting beside her, patiently checking her condition as it improved.

Sabre looked up at the albino sitting beside her as he stared at her with his ruby-red eyes. The dragoness's heart began to beat faster in her chest and she curled away from him. He looked exactly like Certo, without the scars covering his body. It was clear that the two were related.

"Don't bother trying to get away," Neros sighed, calmly shaking his head. "You won't get very far, even if you try." He rose so that he was standing over her, causing her to shrink back in fright.

"What do you want with me?" Sabre squeaked, her throat suddenly feeling dry.

"A good question," Neros nodded, turning his attention out the hut entrance nearby. "An even better question is what are you doing here? Obviously you're no scout dragon. You're too young plus you don't wear armor like those other dragons." He paused and narrowed his cat-like eyes at her. "Unless there's something special about you that you could venture all the way out here on your own, expecting to live for some absurd reason."

"N-no. No!" Sabre shook her head frantically. "Th-that's not it at all. I... I just... was..."

Neros tilted his head sideways as Sabre looked him up and down. "Curious to see if I really am related to the sorry excuse of a black dragon? Well, the answer is yes, unfortunately. But that still does not explain why you are here." Neros brought his snout to press up against Sabre's the ice dragoness felt the chill of the albino's negative energy through his skin and her wings ruffled slightly. The male smirked seeing that she was uncomfortable; the more pressure he put on her, the more likely she would be to break.

Sabre swallowed hard and averted her gaze. She felt something cold and hard press against her cheek. A startled squeak escaped from her lips when she realized it was Neros's tail blade. He forced her to look back at him with a frown on his face.

"Now I'm curious to ask," Neros pressed one of his barbs against her soft facial scales, causing Sabre to squeeze her eyes shut. "What is your connection with my dear brother?"

Sabre's eyes opened and they turned to look at the albino. Her heart raced in her chest as his fierce eyes seemed to stare into her soul. There was no way this demon could be anywhere related to Certo. Certo was quiet and closed off, but at least he had a good heart. This dragon was made of pure malevolence.

"Well?" Neros demanded, pressing his blade to her cheek, drawing a couple drops of blood.

"I love him!" Sabre cried, trying to lean away from the deadly spade.

Neros's eyes widened at this. "You... love him?" Sabre felt him withdraw his tail blade and let herself relax just slightly. "Wow." Neros sighed taking a step back. "I never would have guessed that my brother's mate would come to track me down. I thought the last dragoness was his mate."

"Crona?" Sabre thought to herself.

"But this is just fine," Neros continued as he started pacing around the blue dragoness. "I can only imagine my poor brother's reaction when i deliver to him the carcass of his beloved mate."

"What?" Sabre jolted upright as her heart nearly burst from her chest. Neros hissed and lunged for her throat. Sabre screamed and dove out of the way. She stumbled, hitting the floor and causing another wave of pain to pound in her head. Neros turned and struck with his tail blade, gouging Sabre in her hind leg. The dragoness screamed, having never felt this kind of pain before in her life.

Neros kept his blade pressing into her thigh and moved closer to her. Sabre sobbed uncontrollably as she looked up at the pale-skinned dragon. Neros's eyes began glowing with convexity as he pressed his paw against her neck, pinning her to the floor. "I'm going to enjoy watching Certo squirm when I bring him what's left of you after I let those apes have their way."

Sabre coughed, trying to breathe. "N-no! Please! Don't!"

Neros only smiled and yanked his blade from her leg causing another agonized cry to burst from Sabre's throat. The sound came off as more of a gagged hacking noised than a scream, but he couldn't care less about such a trivial matter. Sabre watched as the albino raised his tail blade like a scorpion preparing to use its stinger. The ice dragoness held her breath, hoping something, someone would burst in and save her. "Certo!" She screamed in her head. "Certo! Anyone! Save me!" She looked into Neros's eyes one last time as his tail muscles tensed for the strike. Sabre screamed when she saw what was coming. "I know you're after Crona!" She cried out on impulse. When all she heard was silence, Sabre opened her eyes to see Neros's tail blade had stopped just inches from her throat.

"What is your point?" Neros growled, his blade twitching ready to move the last couple inches into her flesh.

Sabre was suddenly left gasping for air as her chest and sides heaved rapidly. Neros was hesitant to back away from her, but he allowed the dragoness to sit up while still keeping his tail blade ready to strike at any moment.

"I... I overheard the guardians... they said that the..." Sabre glanced outside at some apes far below on the ground. "The apes were targeting Crona for some reason. Certo said he was almost certain it was because of you."

Neros smirked. His twin definitely knew him better than all the dragons of the world combined.

"They've been training together the last few days constantly," Sabre continued. "I told Certo that I love him. But..." The dragoness's voice trailed off as she stared down at her feet. "He claims not to care about me. Not in the slightest." She raised her head to Neros who watched with a blank stare. "You're his brother, do you know why he acts this way? I mean, I offered myself to him as his life mate but it's like he doesn't care at all. If I didn't know any better I'd say it's because of Crona! They're always together, from sun up to sun down! She says she doesn't like him and he doesn't like her! So why is it I'm not being chosen as his life mate?"

Neros was thoroughly enjoying this melodrama from the ice dragoness. This new information was giving him a new idea, one he was certain he could execute without failure. He paced over to her and draped a wing over her back, pulling her close to him. "I'd be lying if I said I cared. But I do think we can work together to get what we both want."

Sabre immediately felt uncomfortable being touched by the albino, but did not resist. "What do you mean help each other?"

"You want my weakling of a brother for yourself and that white dragoness is in your way. It just so happens, I want that dragoness for myself. So what do you say?" Neros pulled Sabre closer to him and brought his tail blade to her throat again. "You help me get Crona, in exchange for your life. You get released relatively unharmed and can have Certo as much as you like. In return you deliver me the white dragoness."

Sabre felt her limbs stiffen as the barbed blade pressed against her jugular. Neros had just proposed a plan that could get her the dragon she had longed for, for months, but at the price of a fellow classmate. She had no ill feelings towards Crona except for the fact that she had Certo when she had no love towards him in the first place.

"Well? What will it be?" Neros asked, pressing harder.

"What do you want with Crona?" Sabre gasped, leaning away from the blade. "Certo keeps saying you want to kill all dragons. So why do you want Crona? And won't you just kill me later too?"

Neros chuckled at the ice dragoness's cleverness. "Oh Certo's right about that. I want dragons to be wiped from the face of the earth. But in order to do that I need Crona's powers at my disposal."

Sabre cocked her head curiously. She had never recalled Crona showing any sort of demonstration of her breath attacks. It was not until now that she began to wonder what sort of skills she possessed. Whatever they may have been must have been strong enough to get Neros's attention. Looking at the albino, it made sense why he was after her. The white dragoness had willingly volunteered to help teach Certo how to use his new power and it was because of her that the black dragon had progressed so quickly. "What sort of power does she have that you need so badly?"

Neros smiled. He had not expected many dragons to know what abilities Crona possessed and Sabre was clear evidence that the white dragoness's power was a closely guarded secret. He had only been lucky enough to witness her abilities first hand, thus putting him in his current position.

"That's personal information," Neros replied, pulling his blade away and taking a few steps from the dragoness to make her feel more comfortable. "But I can tell you this, I'm not after her life, just her power."

"And what about Certo?" Sabre asked, fixing the pale dragon with a serious stare. "Will you promise not to kill him?"

Neros shook his head and curled his lip. "I don't make promises directly involving my twin. I won't go out of my way to kill him, but... if he should so happen to assault me, then I will have no choice." Sabre's eyes widened in horror at the thought of the black dragon being murdered before her very eyes. Neros saw her expression and smiled. "Certo will die, I can promise you that. But whether it's sooner or later is entirely up to him." Neros walked in a slow circle around the ice dragoness, keeping his ruby eye on her at all times. "You can have a long happy life with him. It's within your grasp as of this moment. You will have him all to yourself with no one else to interfere ever again." He stopped at the entrance to the hut and felt the fresh air fill his lungs. "All you have to do is work with me. Hand over the white dragoness and Certo will be yours forever."

Sabre was frozen in place. The albino had just handed her an opportunity to have what she had been longing for, for so long; a chance to have Certo as her own and the chance to rebuild her family.

"A family..." the dragoness whispered to herself. She glanced up to see Neros standing patiently, his tail blade swishing back in forth like an anxious feline. "I'll do it. As long as you don't attack Certo."

"I won't be the first to attack him." Neros bobbed his head, the grin on his face growing more by the second. "Now tell me, what do you know about Crona helping my brother to master this new power of his?"

"His new power?" Sabre had to think back to when she had been spying on the black dragon during his training. The way his eye glowed was enough to give any dragon nightmares. It was even more frightening because of what caused the power to emerge. "I don't know much about it" Sabre mumbled, lowering her gaze. "All I know is that Certo has gotten better at summoning it over the past several days. Crona was the one who discovered that it reacts more to his emotions when he's angry."

"When he's angry huh?" Neros raised a brow as he thought over the dragoness's words. He tapped the floor thoughtfully with his blade as he looked out the entrance of the hut.

"I... Is something wrong?" Sabre asked hesitantly.

A wicked smiled washed over Neros's face and his teeth glinted in the dim sunlight. "No. That will work out just fine. "

"Certo!" Cytros shouted, rushing forward in an attempt to break the brothers up. A sudden surge of energy burst from between the black dragons. A bolt of convexity struck the fire dragon in the chest, sending him flying backwards.

"Captain!" Kia cried, rushing to his side.

"I'm alright!" The fire-breather groaned as he rolled to his feet. He coughed hard, spattering the ground with blood.

"Stay down," Kia urged. "I'll take command from here."

Cytros didn't argue. All he could do was listen to the savage snarling across the field as Certo kicked Neros off and lunged for his throat again.

"You see! This is what I warned you would happen! By following this feral he has led you all right into a fight that could have been resolved peacefully! He knows nothing about our peaceful ways, and if we want to survive, we have to rid ourselves of this menace."

Kia felt a hot anger boil up inside her. She was not normally one to lose her temper around others, but hearing Volcanus' voice speak out against her former student, seemed to infuriate her beyond any previous measure.

"That is enough out of you Volcanus!" She turned and was shocked to see that the former fire guardian had not been addressing her but the crowd of dragons behind them. Her mouth fell open when she realized what he was doing.

"By following this feral, you have been subjected to his dangerous ways, and led astray by your rogue guardians!" Volcanus turned his fiery orange eyes on the air dragoness. Kia bared her teeth and was preparing to lunge for the blue dragon when an agonized snarl reached her ears. The dragoness turned to see Certo pin Neros to the ground, pressing a heavy paw against his brother's throat. The black dragon was gnashing his teeth savagely, trying to bite down on the albino's neck, but Neros squirmed and lashed out at Certo with his claws while kicking his hind legs.

Certo had had enough, and pinned his brother's limbs down. Neros continued to squirm as he watched his sibling open his jaws wide to deliver a killing bite. The pale dragon's mouth opened and a burst of purple energy caught Certo in the face. The black dragon squalled and lost his grip on his twin. Neros rolled free and slashed his brother in the face, forcing him off. Certo's eyes watered, blurring his vision.

Neros inhaled and roared, sending Certo flying across the field into the trees as they shattered into piles of splinters.

"Certo!" Sabre screamed as Crona pushed her back behind the guards.

"Sabre, leave this to us!" The white dragoness ordered. "You have to get to safety!"

"But Crona!"

"But nothing!" The dragoness snapped. "Now go!" She looked towards some of the volunteers who were watching the fight. "Hurry! Take Sabre back to the city. Make sure no apes follow you!"

Three of the dragons nodded, one snatching Sabre up in his jaws by her tail.

"Crona wait!" Sabre cried but her voice was drowned out by the sound of beating wings as the adults took to the air.

Crona rushed back to Kia's side to see Certo pick himself up off the forest floor. He groaned in pain as chunks of wood peppered his body. Across the field, Neros laughed at him. "Come on Certo! I know you're a better skirmisher than that! Impress me already!"

The black dragon's lip curled and his bad eye blazed bright in the darkness of the forest. An angry roar burst from his throat as did a beam of pure crimson energy. The intense heat caused the city dragons to cover themselves behind their wings and the apes to duck behind their shields. Neros smiled as he forced himself to generate more convexity. His brother's beam clashed into his energy barrier, sending the rays of crimson spraying in all directions. The city dragons and apes scattered and danced around as the superheated energy burned into the earth. When the light died away, a deep scorch mark scarred the ground before them.

Crona and Kia gaped in open shock at the destruction that lay before them. Both brothers were gasping heavily from the exertion of energy. Off to the side, Volcanus turned on Cytros.

"Captain, you need to take control of this situation right this instant!" The blue dragon fumed as the fire guard struggled to his feet. Cytros coughed hard, spattering blood across the ground even more than before. He could feel himself bleeding internally and he could do nothing to stop it.

Volcanus struck Cytros across the face with a heavy paw, knocking him to the ground again.

"Volcanus!" Kia hissed and moved to shove him off but the blue dragon turned on her in a flash. A hard elbow caught Kia in the face, knocking her on her back with more force than she could have expected the elder to deliver. She raised her head in time to see Tectonica's foot come down on her ribcage. Kia snarled and kicked the get out from under the former earth guardian, but the dragoness held her fast.

"Get off of her!" Crona snapped, lunging for Tectonica's face. The earth dragoness snarled as the white dragoness dug her claws into her cheek and bit down on her brow. Crona felt a heavy paw strike her from the side, knocking her to the ground. Kia shrieked and blew a gust of wind up under the earth dragoness's chest, giving herself just enough room to slide out from under her. Tectonica growled and charged the air dragoness with her head down. Kia leaped into the air as the heavy-weight dragoness barreled by her. Crona rolled out of the way, just narrowly missing being trampled.

The white dragoness looked around to see the other city dragons and guards looking more confused than anything. The guards were torn between supporting their captain against the guardians and focusing their attention on the apes. The situation had already escalated out of anyone's control.

Volcanus pressed a heavy foot against Cytros' chest and growled; blue flames licking at the rim of his mouth. "Take control of this situation Captain! Or the deaths of our people will be on your head!" Cytros' eyes snapped open as did the city dragons' attention on the blue fire-breather. The volunteers backed away in fright, glancing at the apes that had not moved an inch from where they stood across the field. None of the dragons felt comfortable hearing about them dying from their former fire guardian. They glanced between both fire breathers then to Tectonica and Kia, and finally to Certo and Neros. The brothers were circling each other making half-hearted swipes at one another, trying to get the other to back down. At last, Certo pounced on Neros and the two were back into their brawl.

All of a sudden, a shower of ice spikes rained down from the sky, surrounding Volcanus on all sides. Every head turned up to see Nitrus gliding towards them with Terra trailing behind. The ice dragoness landed and hung back, away from her father who lumbered over to Volcanus.

"Volcanus, you have said enough!" The ice guardian snarled, showing his icy, white teeth. "You are excused from further volunteer work from this point on."

The fire-breather narrowed his orange eyes at Nitrus as if expecting the ice dragon to reconsider and back down at any moment. "Are you rejecting a fellow dragon who is trying to help you? You are a fool to discard any sort of voluntary assistance!"

Nitrus leered back as a growl resonated in his throat. "You may be a volunteer Volcanus, but you and your..." He glanced at Tectonica and Titanus. "Gathering is far from being any sort of assistance. Unless, of course, you're assisting with making the situation worse, then mission accomplished." Terra held her breath as she watched her father move until he was nose to nose with the blue dragon. "Leave. Now."

Before Volcanus could speak, Certo's roar cut through the air. The black dragon kicked Neros off of him and sprang backwards into the air. A crimson glow came from the back of his throat as he reared his head back before breathing a wave of crimson fire. Neros braced himself and threw up his convexity shield again as the sizzling hot energy burned the earth around him. When the thunder of Certo's voice died away, the ground surrounding Neros was charred black; the burn had even cut a deep wound through the vast forest behind him. Both brothers were both winded from the hit-and-run brawls and the major exertions of their special elements.

"You see what you're allowing to happen?" Volcanus snapped. "You are letting this violence continue in front of our fellow citizens with no effort what so ever in stopping it!"

Nitrus ignored him and turned to face the two black dragons. Neros paused to fix the pale, blue dragon with his fierce ruby eyes. Nitrus spread his wings wide and roared, breathing a cloud of frost at the albino. Neros sprang into the air and beat his wings hard. The frosty cloud was blown towards his brother, encasing him in a layer of ice. Certo snarled as he beat his ice encrusted wings to stay aloft.

Neros turned back to Nitrus and opened his jaws wide. Nitrus thrust his head forward at the same moment. Another cloud of ice blew from the jaws of the ice guardian as Neros unleashed a wave of convexity. The elements clashed as Nitrus forced more of his power into his breath element. Neros locked his legs and plunged his tail blade into the ground, locking himself in place. The ice guardian had the young male pinned where he was in a stalemate of power.

Seeing an opportunity, Certo inhaled deeply. Sensing a shift in the wind, Neros's eye darted in the direction of his brother as he continued to expel his energy. Certo unleashed a sonic blast of wind, tearing up the earth beneath his brother's feet. Neros used the sudden rush of air to evade Nitrus' breath attack and take to the air. The ice shot beneath him and apes were sent scattering to avoid being frozen where they stood.

Not wasting a moment, Neros turned his hate-filled eyes on the guardian Nitrus and spat out an orb of convexity. Nitrus jumped back as the orb hit where he had been standing. The explosion that followed hurled him backwards, as well as Cytros and Volcanus. Certo flapped his wings, propelling himself at his twin. Neros quickly turned on Kia who continued to hover over Tectonica's head. Seeing his intention, Certo banked away and hurled himself in front of the air dragoness as Neros breathed another wave of purple fire. The glowing black dragon was struck, full force, and slammed into Kia. The two were knocked out of the air and landed hard on the ground.

"Master Kia!" One of the guards shouted, rushing forward.

"I'm fine!" Kia groaned, slightly dazed by having Certo knocked into her. "Protect the citizens. Get them out of here!"

The earth dragon guard froze for a moment, unsure if he should comply or help fight. Neros released another blast, this time aiming for the stalled guard. Certo launched himself off of Kia's back and raised his paws as if hoping to stop the energy attack. The purple flames crackled against a small barrier of crimson energy, but quickly overwhelmed the opposing force, sending Certo slamming into the ground at the guard's feet.

Neros laughed and turned to see Cytros lying off to the side, exposed and badly wounded. Blood trickled from his nose and mouth and his armor was broken in several areas, the shattered shards lodged in his hide.

"Captain!" Voltrus' voice hollered in panic. Cytros was barely able to raise his head to see a brilliant purple light shining directly on him. As the energy orb rushed straight for him, Cytros' thoughts flashed to his daughter at home. He had told Vixen to stay there, and wait for Sabre should she return. It was the only thing he had told her the past several days as the search had been going on. He had not had time to sit down and play or relax with her and it was a decision he full heartedly regretted now.

All of a sudden a crimson bolt of energy struck the orb, knocking it off its original course and hitting the ground a few feet from the fire guard. Cytros was sent bouncing across the ground again when the energy erupted against the ground.

Neros turned towards the crowd and breathed an even larger wave of convexity. Certo roared at the oncoming force, sending up a protective barrier in the process. Neros almost smiled as he released more energy. Certo grunted against the strain being pressed against his barrier. The wall of crimson was beginning to collapse against the pressure and his heart began to race.

"Certo!" Crona screamed. "You have to get out of there!"

Certo roared back at his twin, giving off a sudden burst of crimson as the barrier shattered in a blinding flash. The city dragons all covered their eyes and the apes shrank back behind their shields. When the glare had vanished, both sides poked their heads out to see Neros and Certo wheezing heavily as they glowered at one another. Both males were beginning to reach the point of exhaustion, and Neros gently settled down on the ground, not wishing to expend more energy flying until he needed to.

On the opposite side of the field, Kia was struggling to get to her feet. She felt one of her ankles sprain when she had been knocked out of the air and it was severely hindering her ability to rise up in front of the city sentries. She gave a menacing hiss, allowing the wind to carry the sound across the forest. The dragons of the city responded and bared their teeth, ready to fight. Snarls and growls rumbled from deep inside their throats, a sound that caused the apes to grip their weapons in retaliation.

"No," Neros ordered, extending his wings to the side, preventing them from launching their own attack. "I will handle this alone. All of you, return to the village."

"M-Master?" The lead ape that had been holding Sabre swallowed hard. Neros turned his head, just enough to see the baboon out of the corner of his eye. The barbarian nodded and bowed slightly. "As you wish." He gave a wave of his hand and a loud hoot, signaling the other apes to retreat. The dragons watched in astonishment as the savages disappeared into the darkness of the forest.

"Calling off the attack now are we?" Certo snarled.

"No sense in expending my resources when I can handle you all on my own." Neros scoffed with a superior smirk on his muzzle.

"You can't take all of us, Neros!" Crona shouted. "You may as well just give up!"

"I'll pass on that offer, but thank you though." Neros sneered. "Now who should be next to face my wrath?"

The dragons all stiffened at his comment. Certo's heart began to race as his twin scanned the crowd of dragons, slowly deciding who would be his next target. The albino let the tension build until he locked eyes with Certo. A faint smile tugged at his cheek and Certo's heart nearly stopped. The black dragon turned and bolted to the side.

Neros reared his head back and breathed a concentrated beam of convexity at Crona. The white dragoness froze where she was, too petrified to move. Time slowed to a crawl as she watched the furious energy sweep towards her. Crona turned her head to see Certo, sprinting towards her, his mouth wide open as he screamed for her to get out of the way. It was then she realized that she had an entire group of dragons behind her. If she moved, then they would be caught in the middle of Neros's attack. If the stayed put, she would be killed for sure; but then so would Certo.

"What do I do?" She thought to herself. Time was beginning to pick up as she steadily released her hold. "I can't let innocent dragons die! But Certo..." She looked up at him and the horrified expression on his face made her heart tie itself in a knot. "I don't know if I can stop him," She murmured as she looked at her paws in defeat. "But if I sacrifice myself, then Neros won't be able to get to me anymore."

"Crona!" Certo's voice suddenly exploded in her ears as time snapped back to its original state. The black dragon slammed into her, knocking her out of the way of Neros's breath attack. A startled cry came from the city dragons before they were consumed by the blast. The explosion that followed shook the earth and a cloud of purple fire billowed into the night sky. Crona squeezed her eyes shut as she curled into a protective ball around herself. When the thunder in her ears faded away, she turned to see Certo covering her with his wings forming a protective cover for her against the falling dirt and rocks. The black dragon was breathing heavily with blood was dripping from his maw and nostrils. He was covered in minor cuts, scrapes and bruises as well, but these physical ailments were of their least concern. "Are you alright?" He wheezed.

Crona's eyes were wide with shock. He had just saved her life but to what cost. The sound of Neros's laughter reached their ears and Certo folded his wings back and glared at his twin. "You think this is funny? How dare you take a cheap shot at Crona!"

Neros paused to stare his twin in the eyes. "Who said I was aiming for her?"

Certo's brows jumped in surprise. He and Crona looked back to see a smoldering crater where one of the search party groups had once stood. All around, the other dragons looked to see what had happened, and their jaws fell open in dismay. Certo's wings drooped and he immediately felt sick to his stomach. Across the field, Amp got off of Terra who lay beneath him as he had provided himself as cover.

"No... no way..." Terra gasped, shaking her head. "He didn't..."

Amp twisted his neck around to fix Neros with a heated glare. "You're no dragon. You're a monster!" A shrill cry burst from Amp's throat and a bolt of lightning shot across the field.

"Amp!" Terra screamed, seeing her fiancé lose his temper.

Neros ducked under the bolt and flapped his wings, sending a gust to blow the lightning guardian away. Amp and Terra hollered in fright as they, and several other dragons were blown away by the powerful gust.

"You see what you've done!" Volcanus shouted at Nitrus. "That feral just willingly sacrificed our own fellow dragons to save the life of one! He is a threat to our very way of life and existence!" The blue dragon was promptly answered with a heavy tail across his face. Volcanus staggered, stunned from the blow. Another force struck him in the side, knocking him onto the ground. Nitrus rammed the blue dragon, and pinned him down.

"Get off of him!" Tectonica snarled, barreling into Nitrus with all the force she could muster. The ice guardian tumbled and rolled across the ground, before turning to growl menacingly at the former guardian of earth. Volcanus was on his feet before Nitrus could recover from the blow. The blue dragon unleashed a wave of blue fire at the ice guardian. Nitrus quickly countered with his ice breath, and a cloud of hot steam covered the dragons. Neros inhaled and blew the cloud away so he could watch the chaos unfold before him. This was turning out to be better than he had originally expected.

Down on the ground, Crona watched as the brawl between Nitrus and Volcanus continued. When Tectonica tried to step in, Kia intervened, and soon the dragonesses were in the middle of their own battle. Above her, Certo stood in petrified shock. The breath attack his brother had unleashed had left a deep scar in the earth where the search party had once stood.

"Certo, hey!" The white dragoness called, reaching out to him. "Come on! Snap out of it! We have work to do!"

"He... he killed them," Certo choked, still in numb dismay. "He... just..."

"Certo!" Crona slapped him across the face with her talons, jolting the black dragon awake. He stared down at her with a blank stare in his eyes. "If you don't get a hold of yourself, Nitrus and Volcanus are going to kill each other and Neros is going to kill everyone else here!"

"Neros?" Certo spoke his twin's name as if it were his very first time. He turned his head to see his brother standing aside to watch the guardians' battle for supremacy. The black dragon moved off of the white dragoness and took a couple steps towards the albino. Neros sensed his brother's eyes and turned with a grin spread across his mouth. A silent moment passed between the siblings before a furious scowl crossed Certo's face. An ear-shattering roar burst from his lungs and his scars blazed bright. Crona winced from the scalding heat that was so close to her body; she could practically hear the sizzling of burning skin.

Certo lunged for Neros, missing as his twin leaped into the air, beating his wings hard. As the black dragon passed beneath his brother, Neros roared, hoping to catch Certo in the shock wave. Certo skidded to a halt at the edge of the forest and covered his face with a wing as the sonic blast sent a cloud of dirt blowing in a wide circumference. When the dust had settled, Certo looked up to see his brother climbing higher and higher into the night sky.

Certo bellowed, his energy warping his voice as blood spewed from his maw. Both of the black dragon's eyes blazed with crimson light as he launched himself off the ground.

"Certo wait!" Crona shouted after him. She glanced over her shoulder at the warring guardians.

"Crona, go!" Amp hollered. "We'll try and take care of this!" The white dragoness did not hesitate as she took to the air, hoping to catch up to the enraged black dragon.

"What's the plan?" Terra asked Amp hesitantly.

"We fight," the lightning dragon answered. He inhaled deeply, giving Terra the signal. The ice dragoness let out a loud cry as she breathed a cloud of dense fog across the field, shrouding all the guardians in the chilling vapor.

"What do you think you're doing?" Cryus demanded, bounding over to them. "You're only making things worse!"

"On the contrary," Terra corrected. "We're trying to make them better." Amp thrust his head forward, spewing an electrical charge into the cloud of ice. The sudden surge of electricity stunned the dragons, causing them to have nerve spasms throughout their body. Four loud thuds could be heard as the adults collapsed upon the ground.

Off to the side, Voltrus began beating his wings, to blow the cloud of ice away, revealing four bloody and exhausted dragons. Kia and Volcanus were in the worse shape, being covered in nasty gashes and bite marks all over their bodies. Nitrus and Tectonica were not without their own battle wounds though. The earth dragoness hobbled on one front leg which Kia had torn nearly to the bone. And Nitrus had received a severe burn against his left flank from the flames of the former fire guardian.

"I think we've all had enough of this foolishness." The lightning guard announced, sternly asserting himself as the one in charge. He fixed his golden eyes on Tectonica and Volcanus. "You, Volcanus and Tectonica, are hereby banished from our city. Take your grandson and leave at once!"

The blue fire breather only glowered at the lightning dragon. "You are making a mistake. I can save you from death! All you have to do is follow my order..."

"You have no order!" Amp growled, taking a stand beside the sentry. The remaining guards were joining them by now and looking down at the insurrectionists in disgust. "All that has happened just now is your doing. Your so-called order is disorder! You only seek to bring a false sense of security to others and deliver injustice to those who don't deserve it!"

Volcanus only laughed. "Young Ampus, you still have much to learn about the world. You'll soon realize that Certo will be the death of all of you. Unless you cast him out as he should be, you will all die!"

"Then so be it!" Voltrus spat. "If we have to die by associating ourselves with a soul who wishes no ill will upon us and desires to help others, then I consider it a fair trade. My fellow sentries would most likely agree with that." The other guards nodded.

"And what about you Cryus?" Volcanus asked, fixing the water guardian with a harsh stare. "Will you join them and perish as well? Or will you see the light and dispose of the immediate threat to our city?"

Every head seemed to fixate on the young water dragon. Feeling the pressure Cryus tensed his muscles. "I... I..."

"Cryus, don't let him pull the blanket over your eyes again." Terra pleaded. "You can still do good with us. We aren't making you choose which side to take. Just choose what you think is right."

"I... I don't know!" Cryus shook his head. "I... I want to be guardian still! But want... Crona... I want her... to support her! But..."

"Cryus," Amp placed a paw on his shoulder only to have his fellow guardian pull away.

"No! I can't do this! I won't be held responsible!" He turned and ran past the guards, heading straight for the city.

"Cryus, wait!" Terra called, but Amp stopped her with an extended wing.

"You see Ampus. Because of your friend Certo, uncertainty has been instilled in all dragons around him. We had order once before."

"We had _lies_ before," Ampus spat before turning away from the blue fire-breather. By now, several of the guards were attempting to help Nitrus and Kia to their feet, leaving Tectonica and Volcanus to their own strength. Nearby, Titanus sat down with moderate interest in what was going on. But now his attention was focused on the fight far above. As he watched the red and violet figured clash over and over in the sky, he began to devise his own plan of action.

Neros climbed high and fast into the night sky. A thick fog was rolling in, providing him with some cover from his pursuing brother. Below, Crona beat her wings hard to try and catch up with the two brothers. Certo was flying harder and faster than she had seen him do before. The white dragoness considered using her active power to stop time and catch up, but she knew once she did, she would be too winded to fight alongside the black dragon; and he would need all the help he could get. But just playing catch-up was not working in her favor either. Both were air dragons and therefore much faster at flying than any other dragon around.

Certo soon disappeared into the fog overhead, leaving Crona to stop and hover where she was. Trying to follow him where there was hardly and visibility would be near impossible. "Damn it!" She cursed to herself, frustrated at being left behind.

The black dragon shot through the fog until he cleared the barrier of the dense vapor. Neros whirled and breathed a wave of convexity, turning the sky a deep violet. Certo retaliated with a bolt of crimson lightning, causing the clouds to reflect the same color. Both brothers circled one another, using their special breath elements to try and catch the other off guard.

"What in the ancestor's names is going on up there?" Amp gasped as he watched the flashes of red and purple against the night sky.

"I'm afraid to ask." Terra whispered, moving closer to her mate.

A thunderous roar shook the sky as Certo hurled himself at Neros. The black dragon struck with crushing force, stunning the albino dragon for a brief instant. By the time Neros shook off the first hit, Certo had banked around and slammed into him from the side. Neros snarled in anger as they clashed in a cluster of claws and teeth. Certo plunged his tail blade into his twin, missing his stomach but managing to stab him in the hind leg. Neros squalled in pain and Certo struck him across the face, leaving three long, bloody slash marks.

"You think that hurts, wait until I'm done with you!" Certo growled to himself. The two males fell through the fog as the ground rushed up to meet them. Crona's eyes widened when she saw neither were breaking off from one another in order to evade colliding with the earth.

"Certo! Back off!" She shouted frantically.

The black dragon could not hear her desperate cry, but he released Neros nonetheless, sending the albino shooting towards the hard ground. Neros could sense the ground coming closer and released the most powerful roar he could. The earth shook in a cloud of dust shortly before the young male impacted with the softened dirt. Neros bounced and rolled across the ground until he slid to a stop.

Certo landed and bellowed, the deep tone of his voice pounding in the ears of the onlookers. Neros coughed and wiped the blood from his mouth. "What's the matter Certo? Don't tell me you're just a little bit upset now. I'm surprised you haven't actually tried to kill me yet. Don't tell me that dragoness has made you soft now." He smirked at Crona whose eyes widened in disgust. The albino was openly taunting his brother more than he was actually fighting him. She had seen how the brothers fought before. This was nothing like what Neros was usually like.

"You tried to kill her," Certo growled, stalking towards his brother. "I can't forgive you for that!"

"Just that?" Neros snickered. "Gee, I wonder how many other dragons I could kill and not have you care about. Perhaps if I really had killed your little blue girlfriend back there then would you have cared at all?"

"Leave him alone, Neros!" Crona shouted angrily. She could not stand the black dragon talking about murdering other dragons in such a cold, unemotional way. "Certo cares about everyone! You have no right to say those things to him!"

"Oh really?" Neros's smile began to spread and he turned towards the remaining dragons. "How much would he care if he saw them all die right before his eyes?" The guardians and sentries stiffened at that. Neros began to glow with convexity once more as did his eyes. "Well, Certo? What are you going to do? Kill me? Or watch them die? Although you have quite a bit of experience seeing others die right in front of you, don't you."

That was the last straw for the black dragon. Certo let out the loudest roar he could emit and the night sky turned to the color of blood. "I'll kill you, you murderer!" Steam rose from the rims of Certo's eyes as his tears of anger and sorrow sizzled against his skin. Both his eyes blazed like crimson suns and waves of fire began to spiral around him.

"Certo stop!" Crona shouted, shielding herself from the unbearable heat. She backed away, before the heat given off by the black dragon scalded her. "Please Certo! Don't do this!"

The black dragon continued to cry out as he generated more energy than he had ever done before.

"Crona, he's going to blow a stack!" Terra shouted.

"Get the wounded out of here!" Crona shouted back over her shoulder. "I have to try and calm him down!"

"Good luck with that!" Neros laughed. "Certo's such a one track minded fool he won't listen until I'm dead! Isn't that right dear brother?" He smiled evilly at his twin. Certo felt his grip on his self-control slip. His wings stretched to their maximum length, nearly tearing the membrane between his digits. "Aw, come on Certo! Is that all the power you have? Come on! Hit me with what you've got!"

"Shut up!" Crona charged forward, halting time to build her speed up, before slamming head on into Neros. The albino black dragon tumbled backwards, blood spewing from his nose and mouth. Crona turned and was hit with a wave of crimson energy. She screamed from the burning heat, hiding behind her wing. Certo's enraged cries hurt her ears as he continued to build up more and more of his power. His scars began to pulsate; slowly at first but then the flashes continued to pick up speed.

"We have to get out of here!" Amp shouted, seeing what was about to happen.

"We won't be able to move the wounded fast enough!" Voltrus called, before turning to the remaining sentries and search parties. "Fly! As far away from here as you can! Hurry!" The dragons did not hesitate for a second. A gust of wind swept over the field as they took to the air, beating their wings hard to get as far away from the out-of-control power-heavy dragon. Voltrus turned to Amp and Terra. "Go on young ones. We need guardians to take care of our kind. I'll try and protect the others as much as I can."

"We're not leaving!" Terra snapped. "Certo's our friend, and he needs us now!"

"There's nothing you can do for him," Volcanus shouted over the noise. He was up on his feet and was joined by Tectonica who watched the scene with a wary eye.

"I don't believe that!" Terra spat.

"Believe what you like, young dragoness," Volcanus almost scoffed openly. "But the world is a cruel place when there's no order. I hope you realize that before it's too late."

"Get out of here!" Amp shouted furiously, sparks flying between his jaws.

"As you wish." Volcanus bowed. "I do believe I have made my point." He raised his head and looked around.

"Well?" Amp demanded, impatiently. Another wave of heat hit the dragons, causing them to back away even further.

"Where is my grandson?" Volcanus asked aloud. The other dragons looked about to find Titanus and his gang missing.

"They probably took off for the city," Voltrus suggested. "If you must, then go get him and then leave! Otherwise we'll have to force you."

"You are very kind, young sentry." Volcanus nodded and spread his wings wide. He and Tectonica flapped hard, trying to get some air beneath their wings. Another rush of hot air blew the two dragons off balance and sent them rolling. Tectonica howled in pain as she felt her forelimb snap.

"Certo! Stop it now!" Crona cried, pressing forward against the black dragon's burning gale. "You don't have to do this!"

"Crona! Get out of there!" Amp shouted desperately. "He'll kill you!"

"I'm not leaving him!" Crona tried hollered over the roar of the wind, but her voice never reached the young guardian.

By now Certo's scars were flashing like strobes. Crona froze time and lurched forward. She lashed out at Certo with her talons, striking him across the face, hoping it would snap him out of his blind rage. She withdrew her hold and was instantly thrown back by another surge of energy. The white dragoness screamed in pain as she felt her skin burn.

"You won't be able to stop him now," Neros said, walking up beside her. "He's going to risk it all to destroy me; including your friends over there."

Crona looked up at the albino in shock. "This was your plan from the start!" She gasped. "You had no intention of fighting Certo to begin with!"

"Nope. Why kill off all the dragons here when it would be so much more rewarding to watch my own brother do it for me? Even if I do come out with a few more scrapes and bruises."

"You're sick!" Crona hissed, getting to her feet. "I'm going to make you pay for what you've done here!"

"Maybe." Neros shrugged. "But right now you may want to focus on saving your friends. Before Certo kills them himself."

Crona looked back to the dragons across the field. They were huddling together, trying to get away from the heat as Terra used her ice breath to freeze a wall around them. But Certo's fury was melting the ice faster than Terra could form it.

The white dragoness looked from Certo to her friends. She had to save them, but how? Certo was beyond her reach now. With deep sigh and a powerful kick from her hind legs, Crona charged past the black dragon. "I'm sorry Certo!" She sobbed in her mind. She slid to a halt in front of the wounded guardians and sentries.

"Crona, what are you doing?" Cryus shouted.

"Saving our lives!" Crona shot back at him. She glanced back at Certo and squeezed her eyes shut. "I'm sorry Certo," She whimpered in her mind. "Please, forgive me."

The white dragoness began to concentrate; hard. She could feel the magic in the air around her; but it felt stale, almost tainted. In her mind's eye she could see the blue mist surrounding her and the others, but the streams of magic were only tiny wisps in the burning crimson tornado that was Certo. The black dragon was shrouded in a pure red aura and Crona could see his body beginning to break as he expelled the last of his energy. The dragoness grasped what she could of the magical energy and focused it into a ball in front of her. Behind her she could heard the other dragons gasp as the magic began to manifest before their very eyes.

"Crona, what are you doing?" Terra exclaimed.

"I need your energy!" Crona cried, squeezing her eyes shut as she tried gathering whatever magic she could. "I need your power! There's not enough for me!"

"What are we supposed to do?" Amp cried as the howl of the wind grew louder. Certo released another growl as the wind amplified the sound.

"Your breath attacks! I need the power from your breath attacks! Hit me with them!"

"Crona, are you sure..."

"Do it now!" The dragoness shrieked. Terra let out a cry and a beam of ice burst from her throat. Amp quickly followed her lead and added his lightning power. Their elemental energy shot straight for the white dragoness before suddenly warping around her body as she took control of their elements. Nitrus added his own breath as did Kia and Voltrus. Soon the remaining dragons were all adding in their elemental specialties. The sudden surge of magic allowed Crona to spread her barrier even wider than before. Nitrus and the other guardians watched in stupefied awe as Crona's barrier spread over them, blanketing them in a baby-blue light. The white dragoness could sense Certo just in front of her. A single tear escaped from under her eyelids as she felt a final surge of energy from him.

"Let's see what you have brother!" Neros shouted enthusiastically. "Do it!"

A deep rumble came from the earth, and a moment later another roar erupted from Certo's lungs. The black dragon's head reared towards the clouds above and a crimson beam shot through the sky.

"This is it!" Amp shouted, pulling Terra closer to him and huddling close to the hot ground.

Certo's energy exploded from his body, bending the trees of the forest nearly to the ground and burning most of the foliage away. Neros ducked close to the ground and concentrated on forming an energy shield around his body. The scorching heat seared the ground around him, turning the earth as black as ash. The albino's taunting laugh was overpowered by the noise of the explosion. The ground shook, causing the dragons to waver on their feet. Crona's brow furrowed as she struggled to retain control of the magic shield that was keeping them from being burned to a crisp. She screamed Certo's name but her voice was carried away by the wind. All she could see in her mind's eye was red as Certo's body tore itself apart.

Back at the city, Sabre and Vixen could see the crimson beam parting the clouds overhead. The rumble in the distance quickly grew louder, as the wind continued to pick up. The young dragons huddled close to one another, as they sat on the balcony of Vixen's room. Just then the rumbled of the shock wave began to shake the city. The young females screamed and ducked back inside the room as items on shelves began to fall and the pavilion shook on its base. Then as quickly as it had come, the noise died away.

"What happened?" Vixen asked, still shaken by the shock wave.

Sabre watched with a dropped jaw as the beam of light in the sky slowly died away and the darkness of night returned. "Something terrible."

The ringing continued in Crona's ears. The thunderous noise had long since died away, but the dragoness's head still throbbed. The guardians and sentries poked their heads out from behind their wings, half expecting to be dead. All around them they could see charred forest, and the smell of burning made them wrinkle their noses in disgust. A gentle breeze blew across the field, carrying the ashes of the earth with it.

"Dear ancestors," Nitrus gaped in open shock at the devastated landscape. "We should be dead right now."

"But thanks to Crona, we're not," Voltrus pointed out. The white dragoness stood still as she slowly released the flow of magic back to its original free-flowing state. When the barrier disappeared she released a deep sigh, collapsing onto her hind legs.

"Crona!" Kia shouted and hurried over to her, with a noticeable limp, with Amp and Terra alongside her. "Crona, are you alright? Say something."

The white dragoness could only wheeze as she felt her senses begin to give out. "C-Certo..." She whimpered, struggling to get to her feet.

The black dragon was frozen in place, his nose still pointed to the sky. His mouth hung open and blood spilled from the rims of his maw. Across the field Neros lowered his own barrier, shaking the ash that had gathered on his body.

"That was a close one," he sneered, straightening himself up as much as he could. He too was exhausted from using up so much energy. "I didn't think you guys would survive. Let alone Certo having the guts to pull such a move."

"You're going to get it Neros," Crona hissed. Her throat suddenly felt so dry she could hardly speak any louder than a whisper. "When I get my claws on you, you'll regret every terrible thing you've said to Certo."

"Crona don't!" Kia tried to stop her from taking a wobbly step forward, but the dragoness forced herself to stand tall.

"Perhaps next time," Neros snickered. "For now, you may wish to say your farewells to him." He looked at his brother as the blood continued to trickle down his neck and chest before spilling onto the ground; sizzling on impact. "I think he's got enough blood in him to last only a few minutes at most."

Crona and the others looked at Certo as Neros began to back away from them before disappearing into the forest. Amp and Terra watched him go, both keeping their wits about themselves in case he launched another surprise attack. When they turned to Certo, they found the black dragon's wide eyes, rolled back into his skull. Blood was now flowing from his eye sockets as well as his nose, mouth and open wounds. The dragons could only watch in dismay as the blood gathered around the black dragon's feet, bubbling on the ground's surface.

All of a sudden, Certo's body crumbled to the ground.

"Certo!" Terra exclaimed. Voltrus bounded over, and leaned down to inspect the young male. Certo's eyes remained open as blood continued to flow. His expression was frozen as he appeared to stare out at the world beyond.

"What's wrong with him?" Terra asked, the worry and fear ringing clear in her voice.

"I'm not sure," the lightning guard shook his head. "But we need the get him looked at by the healers."

"Can we move him?" Crona asked weakly.

"I don't think that would be a good idea right now," Kia shook her head as she leaned down to inspect the dying dragon.

"Then what do we do?" Terra cried desperately. "We can't leave him here! It'll take too long for the healers to reach us all the way out here!"

"Terra, calm down!" Nitrus ordered, taking a stand beside Voltrus. "Have the earth dragons build us a makeshift pavilion. Several for that matter."

"Yes sir, Master Nitrus!" Voltrus saluted with a wing before turning to the rest of the guards.

The ice guardian looked down at the younger dragons with a heavy sigh and drooping wings. "We will make camp here. Terra, go grab your mother. Ampus, go with her. I want Terra to watch over Maya while you gather the other healers in the city." Amp only nodded silently.

"But dad, I want to help!" Terra protested.

"You'll be helping by ensuring your sister is safe," Nitrus scolded, far too exhausted to raise his voice any more. "Now hurry. We may not have any more time left."

"We're on it!" Amp nodded sternly. "Come on Terra!" The couple spread their wings before taking to the air. Kia watched them leave for a second before looking back at Nitrus.

"What should I do? Take care of Crona?"

"I'm fine," the dragoness breathed deeply. Her vision was blurring slightly as she sat down on her haunches. "Thank you for the concern though."

"Kia, we are going to need lots of water," Nitrus continued. "I want you to gather whatever water dragons you can and begin transporting water to this location."

"Understood," the green dragoness nodded. "And what of Cryus? Should we have him help as well?"

"If he wishes to help then he will do so. I will have to talk with him later myself, but for now we can't worry about him."

Kia bobbed her head sadly and turned to fly back to the city. When she was gone, Nitrus turned to Crona who looked like she was ready to topple over at any moment.

"Will you be okay for a short while until the healers get here?"

"I'll survive." Crona nodded, only making herself more woozy. "I can... watch over..." Her vertigo soon overwhelmed her as she collapsed to the ground. She heard a muffled cry but was unable to distinguish what was being said. As Crona's vision fade to black she stared into the hollow eyes of the black dragon before her. "I'm sorry," She whispered in her mind. "I'm so sorry."


	29. Chapter 29

Terra and Amp flew as fast as they could back to the city. As they flew they could see more dragons up ahead from the search party that had willingly retreated to safety.

"Thank the ancestors they're okay," Terra breathed as they closed the gap between them.

"Master Ampus!" The gruff voice of an earth dragon called out to the couple as they drew near. The earth guard, Azurite, was leading a procession of the search party back towards the site of ground zero. "What happened? Are the others alright?"

"Everyone's alive." Amp nodded, pausing to hover for a moment. "But we need all available dragons to help with..." The young guardian's voice trailed off. He could not bring himself to speak of what Certo had just done, or the possibility of his life being in such jeopardy. "Report to Voltrus. He'll inform you of what needs to be done. I'm ordered to gather any available healers from the city and report back on the double."

"Understood Master Ampus. Good luck." The earth guard turned to continue on as did the young couple.

The two youngsters flew on in silence as they neared the city. Just as they reached the outer wall, Terra spoke. "Will you be alright Amp?"

"I don't know." The guardian shook his head. "I just... Certo nearly killed all of us!"

"It wasn't his intention!" Terra shouted.

"But we could have died, Terra!" The lightning dragon stopped and turned to face her. "It was like he didn't care we were in danger, even when Crona was there to try and calm him down!"

Terra stared at her fiancé with a horrified look on her face. She couldn't believe he was saying such things and about a close friend; as close as Certo let anyone get to him besides Crona. In her own heart, Terra felt there must have been a sensible explanation for what had happened. There had always been one before, so why should now be any different?

Seeing that she was not going to argue his point, Amp continued on to their home. The two found Thundra standing on the central chamber balcony looking off into the distance.

"Mom!" Terra cried, diving towards her. The lightning dragoness looked up as Terra landed and threw her front paws around her mother's leg, crying without any shred of control left in her body.

"Terra, what's wrong? What happened?" Thundra looked up at Amp who hovered over the balcony with a look of disdain on his face. "Ampus, tell me what is going on." Thundra ordered in a gentle voice.

"It's... Certo," Amp muttered after a moment. "He's... he needs help..."

Thundra's eyes widened and her mouth fell open. "What's wrong with him?"

"I have no idea." Amp shook his head, his temper beginning to rise. "I have to go gather the other healers. Terra will stay and watch Maya, but we have work to do."

Before Thundra could scold him for his attitude, the lightning guardian flew off into the city. Thundra sighed and leaned down over Terra, resting her chin against her daughter's side, hoping it would comfort her just slightly. "Come, help me gather my supplies."

Amp ground his teeth as he flew on throughout the city. He knew where the healers' pavilions were but for some reason he was not taking the direct route. The young male stalled at each home he went to. Most of the healers were already out aiding in the search, which made it that much more frustrating for Amp when he found the dragon pavilions dark and empty.

"What in the world was Certo thinking?" The lightning dragon thought to himself as he glided across the rooftops. He could still see the black dragon with his scars blazing in the night and his eyes burning as if possessed by an evil force. It was as if the Certo he once knew was completely gone, only to be replaced with this demon of a dragon. "Maybe that's what Volcanus was talking about," He muttered as he set down on one of the rooftops. "Crona said Certo wasn't the only black dragon around, but... he just tried to kill all of us... His own friends."

The young male's temper was continuing to rise. Amp's quills stood on end, buzzing with electricity as he dug his claws into the tile rooftop he was sitting on. It made him mad to know that Certo had nearly obliterated him, along with his friends and family. But it made him even more furious at the thought of Volcanus being right about the black dragon whom he had defended time and again before.

"Damn you Certo!" The guardian shouted to the clouds overhead. The sky was thick with heavy rain clouds. Any minute it could downpour on the city, drenching the dragons who were not sheltered from the harsh weather.

"Amp!" The lightning dragon turned to see Vixen and Sabre flying towards him. The two girls stopped, hovering before him, looking at him inquisitively.

"What's going on?" Vixen asked worriedly. "Is my father okay?"

Amp stiffened, having completely forgotten about the wounded fire guard. He looked down at his paws, unable to answer her.

"Amp, tell me!" Vixen pleaded, hovering closer to him. "Is my father alright?"

Amp looked into the red dragoness's eyes for a long moment. The silence nearly killed Vixen as she began to imagine the worst had happened. "Your father was still alive when I left." The lightning guardian finally spoke, causing Vixen to release a relieved sigh. "But I don't know how his condition is. Certo... he..."

"Certo? He... He hurt my father?" Vixen squeaked, unable to believe what she had just heard. "B-but there's no way! He wouldn't do that!"

"I saw it with my own eyes Vixen!" Amp snapped angrily. "I was there! I was standing only a few yards from him when it happened! Certo went out of control and when your father tried to yank him back into line, Certo..."

"Shut up!" Vixen shouted furiously. "I refuse to believe that Certo would outright harm anyone!"

"Have you seen him when he's around his brother?" Amp snarled, his teeth flashing with sparks of energy. "He has no priority other than to kill! He focuses all his attention on his brother and ignores everyone else who gets in his way, friends and family alike! All he cares about is killing! He almost killed all of us who were out there! And he didn't even so much a blink!"

Vixen had tears coming to her eyes. "I... I still don't believe you!"

"Oh, wake up Vixen!" Amp shouted. "Volcanus was right the whole time! Certo brings only death and destruction wherever he goes! If he continues to live with us, we're all dead!"

"Stop it! Stop it right now!" Sabre shrieked. Amp turned as she brought her talons across his face, leaving three long cuts along his cheek. Amp stared at the dragoness in shock, more at being slapped than anything else. Sabre was breathing hard with puffs of frost jetting from her nostrils, sending a chill up Amp's spine. The night was cold before, but he had not noticed how much of a chill was in the air until now.

"You're supposed to be one of Certo's closest friends!" Sabre scolded as tears streamed down her cheeks. "How dare you say such things about him!? You've seen firsthand how kind of a heart he has. You've lived with him yourself! He's not a bad dragon and you know it! I claimed to be one of his friends too!" Sabre set down on the rooftop and hung her head in shame. She could not bring herself to look the others in the eye for what she was about to tell them.

Crona dashed through the snow of Dante's Freezer. The sounds of fighting had suddenly disappeared, leaving only the crackle of dying flames as the frozen fortress burned away.

All around, apes lay dead or dying beneath piles of rubble. Their weapons and bodies were scattered about, staining the snow with blood and ash. The young dragoness found herself dumbstruck by the amount of destruction around her.

"There's no way this could have been done by just one hatchling!" She thought to herself. "There's just no way!"

The dragoness continued deeper into the compound. Broken catapults, burned blockades, and demolished barracks littered the frozen ground. The apes that were around lay still, their faces buried in the snow. Crona's thoughts began to drift to the dragon who had done all this. She had heard about how powerful Malefor was, being a purple dragon and able to harness the different elements around him. But if this was the sort of power from a purple dragon hatchling, then the true extent of the Dark Master's was almost unfathomable.

"I just hope this Spyro doesn't take the same path as Malefor," Crona muttered to herself. One purple dragon had left the world scarred for long enough; over a thousand years. It took a great amount of sacrifice for the guardians of the time to finally bring him down and banish him to another dimension; a feat which Crona had never quite been able to wrap her mind around.

She was in the middle of her private thoughts when the sound of a faint cry reached her ears. Crona perked up and turned in the direction of the sound. It sounded like someone screaming; like a banshee. Hesitantly the young dragoness moved closer towards the sound. The cries continued and soon Crona could hear a loud banging sound as well. The noise was coming from a pile of rubble from a collapsed barricade. As Crona drew closer, the banging and shrieking grew louder. The planks of wood jolted from whatever was underneath, slamming against them. Every nerve in Crona's body told her to run, but the white dragoness's curiosity held her where she stood, not quite ready to move closer to the debris.

Suddenly the pile of rubble exploded towards the sky and a massive creature thrust its head out with a triumphant cry. Crona's eyes widened in terror as the dreadwing emerged from the wreckage. The beast resembled a bat with the horns of a bull and eyes as cold as the ice itself. The monster wore a burned harness that barely hung onto its body. The right side of its face was covered in third-degree burns and the fur along its neck had been burned away, leaving only charred flesh. The stench of the beast was enough to make Crona curl her lip.

A sudden sneeze from the white dragoness caught the creature's attention. Its chilling stare locked on Crona who found herself petrified before it. The beast stood almost as tall as an adult dragon. A snarl gurgled from the dreadwing's throat as its fangs flashed in the sunlight.

The bat shrieked and lunged for Crona. The dragoness screamed and bolted as fast as she could. The dreadwing tried following after her but its hind legs remained trapped beneath the barricade. It dug its wing claws into the ice and wrenched itself free, launching itself into the air. The sound of heavy, beating wings reached Crona's ear drums and a shadow passed over her. She looked back to see the mauled beast descending upon her, its hind claws outstretched, ready to snatch her up. The young dragoness quickly darted around a corner, causing the dreadwing to halt its dive before it hit the ground.

Sensing that she had gained some precious seconds, Crona kicked herself off the ground and beat her wings, immediately taking to the sky. The dreadwing hissed angrily, seeing that its prey was going to be harder to catch than it had originally expected. Crona flapped her wings as hard as she could, desperately trying to put some distance between her and her pursuer. The dreadwing was trying its best to keep up with the speedy youngling, but its wounds hindered its flying ability far too much.

As Crona started to pull ahead, the creature resorted to one last measure. Crona's eyes widened in shock as a shrill, high pitched cry burst from the dreadwing's throat. It felt like a sudden wind had struck her and was trying to tear her apart from the inside out. The intense vibrations caused Crona's senses to go numb as she fell out of the sky. The dragoness could only watch as the ground rushed up at her.

"Fly!" She screamed in her mind. "Fly!" Just as she was about to hit the snow, her muscles twitched. The dragoness spread her wings, catching a strong updraft in her membranes, pulling her out of the nose dive. But it was not enough to stop her from hitting the powdered ground. Crona bounced and rolled through the snow before skidding to a halt against a shattered battery.

The dreadwing shrieked, diving towards her. Still slightly dazed, Crona managed to scramble underneath the broken war machine. The bat landed and clawed at the ground, trying to dig the dragoness out from under it. Crona cried out in fright and ran towards the rear of the battery. The dreadwing clambered onto the crumbling weapon, clawing at the sides, trying to force the white dragoness out into the open. Just as she was about to reach the back opening, a massive claw grabbed at Crona from overhead. The dragoness skidded to a halt, and retreated back the way she came as the dreadwing bent down to peer under the battery.

Crona was now fully awake after being stunned for a brief period of time and bolted from under the broken down machine, sprinting straight for the closest wall she could find. The dreadwing looked up in time to see the youngster making a break for a hole in one of the walls where she could easily escape. The bat shrieked once more, the sonic vibrations stunning Crona and causing her to fall face first into the snow. The agitated beast snorted in disgust as it clambered off of the battery, stalking towards its meal. Crona watched as the world before her spun in a dizzying blur. Her head was throbbing from the severe migraine and her body ached from the end of her tail spade to the tips of her talons.

Just as the winged creature crept up to its fallen prey, a loud roar thundered overhead. The bat's sensitive ears pinned against its head. The dreadwing looked to the sky as a large yellow dragon with blue belly scales soared across the sky, heading towards the coast. Alongside the lightning dragon flew a much smaller dragon whose scales were a royal purple and golden belly scales. Recognizing them, the dreadwing hissed and its hair stood on end. The dragons had not noticed the wounded creature far below, and continued on without so much as twitching a scale in its direction. The dreadwing glared at the dragons until they were out of sight before being certain they would not return.

The horned bat turned back to its prey only to find it gone. The creature looked around frantically before spotting the little dragoness who nearly blended in perfectly with the snow. Crona had recovered enough to drag herself towards the hole in the wall she had been aiming for just a few yards away. But in the short time the dreadwing had been distracted, the young dragoness had managed to crawl over to the mouth of the hole.

The dreadwing bellowed and charged forward. Crona hurled herself the last couple feet to the wall and into the hole. The dreadwing snarled angrily and began tearing away at the hole with its wing claws.

The hole was only a few feet deep, leaving Crona nowhere else to run. The dreadwing gave a loud huff and leaned down to eye the frightened dragoness. Crona was gasping for breath and pressing against the back of the hole, trying to melt into the wall. The bat snarled again and began digging more furiously. Crona screamed as a claw nearly slashed her across her breast scales. She darted to the side to avoid being hooked by the creature's claw, but the bat was still not giving up. Another swipe knocked the dragoness off her feet and she rolled away as the claw plunged into the hard ground beside her. The dreadwing shrieked and Crona screamed in return.

"Get away from me!" Her voice reached a pitch that could have rivaled the dreadwing's. The creature snarled and slammed against the wall, clawing even more frantically to drag her out. The constant noise and pounding against the wall caused a catapult emplacement to rattle on its supports. With each time that the dreadwing slammed into the wall, more of the wall would crumble.

At last the dreadwing was getting fed up playing cat and mouse. The bat shoved its muzzle into the tiny hole, gnashing its fangs madly. Crona latched onto the creature's muzzle with her small talons and teeth, drawing more blood from the burned flesh. The dreadwing howled in pain and yanked its snout back, slamming Crona's head against the top of the hole. The dragoness hit the ground and did not move. The dreadwing's sonic cry was enough to cause the crumbling supports of the catapult to give way under the battery's weight. A startled squall cut through the air followed by an ear-shattering crash as wood, metal and stone came crashing down on top of the wounded beast. When the rocks and snow finally settled, all that remained was dead silence.

When Crona awoke, it was daylight outside. The warm sun peeked inside through the windows of the library, warming her sides as she laid on the cushions she and Certo had gathered during the recent chilly nights. The mass of cushions had done wonders to keep the two of them warm after spending countless hours searching in the cold for the missing ice dragoness. Even with all the confusion and running around, the two of them, or Crona at least, had managed to get some quality rest. However, now as she roused from her slumber, she felt a sense of uneasiness wash over her; as if she were missing something. Subconsciously the dragoness shifted around to nestle closer to Certo's body for warmth; but when she found his usual spot empty her eyes snapped open.

"Certo?" She raised her head and looked around; the room was empty. As Crona thought back to what had happened, her eyes widened and her mouth fell open. "Certo!" She shouted, her voice echoing throughout the vast library. Crona bolted out of their room and out into the middle the main chamber. Crona's eyes swept through the library before they full upon the main entrance. She took a step towards it, her first instinct being to search for Certo outside. "He would have to be outside," She thought to herself. "He wouldn't stay here just because... he has to."

"Crona!" The white dragoness whirled around in the direction of the voice. Stratus's head appeared over the railing one level up.

"Stratus, where's Certo? Did he go out? What happened to him?"

"Wait right there for me," He ordered and disappeared from her view. Crona waited almost impatiently for the elder dragon to descend the stairs until he was on the ground floor. "You've been out for a few hours Crona. The sentries brought you back shortly after you fainted." Crona lowered her head as she tried to recall anything after the explosion. She remembered feeling dizzy and staring at Certo who lay on the ground before her, but after that, she could not remember a thing. "Certo is still... beyond the city's borders as of right now. But he has protection, so he's relatively safe for the time being."

Crona took an astonished step back from the librarian. "H-he hasn't come back? Why? Wh-why wouldn't he come back?"

"He can't be brought back Crona," Stratus replied, trying to keep the dragoness from reaching hysterics.

Crona's heart nearly stopped then and there. "C-can't be b-brought..." She could not finish the sentence.

"He can't be moved from where he is," Stratus explained, lowering himself to her level. "His condition is too critical for him to be moved safely."

"What do you mean?" Crona asked, shaking her head. Stratus could see her eyes were already glossy with tears. Not knowing where her friend was tore her up inside. "What's his condition?"

Stratus sighed; what he was about to say was not easy for him and it would be even harder on the adolescent female. There was no easy way to explain the situation or any hope of sugar-coating it; but then Crona was not the type who would take such a thing in good graces. The librarian sucked in a deep breath before speaking again. "Crona, listen to me. You have to know, that all of our healers have done what they can. But... Certo... his body is not recovering. At least, not enough to bring him back to consciousness."

Crona's jaw would have dislocated if it had been able to. "He... He's in a coma?" She managed to squeak, her mouth feeling as dry as a desert.

Stratus sighed again and nodded. "The healers have all been in agreement. And they don't dare move him for the fear of losing him altogether."

"Losing him altogether..." Crona whispered. Her heart pounded in her throat as she tried to force herself to move. "No..." She whimpered. "He... he can't... Certo just can't die like that!"

"Crona," Stratus spoke gently trying to calm her down.

The white dragoness pulled away from him and shook her head more violently. "He wouldn't give up like that! I know him! Certo's too stubborn to just die without a fight! He can't die!"

"I'm not saying he's going to die, Crona," Stratus murmured, raising his head back up. "I'm informing you that he is not well and that his life is hanging in the balance right now. I don't wish to believe that he may die either, but it's a fact we must face."

Crona wanted to cry. She wanted to cry so desperately. But not here; not in front of Stratus. She looked up into the librarian's pale green eyes. "C-can I... s-see him? Am I allowed that at least?"

"Of course my dear." Stratus nodded. "Anything for you." He draped a protective wing around her shoulders, leading her out of the library. "Would you wish to walk my dear?"

Crona was not sure she had the strength to fly; not after hearing such grim news. But walking would have only made her more tired and she was already feeling herself shake. "I... I'll fly... it'll be faster," She mumbled, trying to pull herself together.

"As you wish," Stratus nodded understandingly and lowered himself to the ground. "You may use me as support if you feel the need."

"Thank you, that's very kind," Crona nodded. "But I'll be fine for now."

"Very well then," Stratus replied, spreading his wings. "Shall we be off?"

"I suppose," Crona muttered following the earth dragon as they took to the sky. The two of them soared over the outer wall of the city; the barrier not yet fully constructed and still in its early stages of being built up. The earth dragons who had been working on it had followed Crona's blueprints to the number, making the perimeter as effective as possible against possible invasion.

Crona watched as the trees rushed by beneath them. The Silver River glistened in the late afternoon sunlight, blinding the dragoness for a moment. Just shortly after they had crossed the river, the trees began to die away. The dragoness looked up to see nothing but burned forest ahead, most of it still smoking and filling the air with an offensive odor. The blast radius extended for a quarter mile in each direction, charring the forest to a petrified black crisp.

"It's almost like the burned lands," Crona thought to herself. Not a single blade of grass had survived Certo's explosive might. She could picture in her mind the scenario from the previous night; the blind rage filling Certo's eyes was enough to give her nightmares and his agonized cries would haunt her for weeks on end. "It's my fault." She gasped, not realizing she was speaking aloud. "It's all my fault."

Stratus glanced over at the young female with a sad expression on his wrinkled face. "You shouldn't blame yourself. There are some things you can't control in this world."

"I couldn't stop him," Crona protested. "I wasn't there for him. Not like I should have been. I should have done more. Maybe then he wouldn't be in this state."

Stratus shook his head. "You did what you could Crona. You have a pure heart and a good head on your shoulders. I know you did all that you could to help him. Things just didn't work out as you had hoped. Or as we had hoped."

"But I didn't though! I saw the warning signs! I saw how the trouble was going to brew and I did nothing! I couldn't do anything! I couldn't do a damned thing about it!" The dragoness could feel her heart twisting into knots within her chest. She had always felt weaker than other dragons, but it had always been in the physical sense. Now was the first time like she felt mentally defeated in any circumstance. "I'm a failure as a so-called friend."

A sudden flurry of wings grabbed Crona's attention as Stratus came to an abrupt halt before turning to face the white dragoness with a fierce look in his eyes. He extended a paw, stopping Crona from proceeding any further. "Now you listen to me young dragoness, and listen well!" The head librarian's voice had turned from a gentle murmur to a savage growl in the space of a few seconds, shocking Crona that such a composed soul could change so quickly. "Don't you dare belittle yourself like that! You have stood by Certo unwaveringly for so long, despite your ups and down thus far. You and your friends have been nothing short of supportive to Certo. And you know firsthand, that is no easy task."

Crona began to sniffle a bit more loudly now, but held back her tears. "But how can I call myself Certo's friend when I couldn't even talk to him? I couldn't even let him know he could come to me for help if he needed it!" Crona stared at the ground far below. She felt like simply falling and never having to get up again. It would have made things far less painful for her. But then that would have destroyed the purpose of lecturing Certo about such actions beforehand. "I thought that if I talked to Certo, rather than leaving him alone, it would be like pushing him away and forcing him to do something he may not want to do."

Stratus hovered closer to Crona and craned his neck down until he could bump her with the top of his muzzle. "Crona, it takes two in every relationship to make things work out for the best. This is true whether it is friends, couples, or life-mates. You cannot give constantly and not get in return. One it's not fair, and two it's unhealthy for both of you."

"But Certo..." Crona started. "He..."

"I know; I am aware he carries a lot of pain and anger from his past. But if he wants to keep you around, he will have to put forth more effort."

"Me?" Crona gasped, raising a brow. The librarian's words had struck a curious note with her.

"Yes," Stratus nodded. "Certo has a hard time opening up to anyone. Even you know that he hasn't told you everything. But because you two share the same pains, you may be able to become closer than before if you both open up a little."

"Why do I need to open up though?" Crona asked, thoroughly confused by the earth dragon's statement."

"How much does Certo really know about you? How much do you really know about Certo?" Stratus asked, narrowing his eyes at the dragoness. "I could bet my life on the fact that neither of you have spoken a word about your pasts in order to help one another."

Crona narrowed her eyes skeptically at the earth dragon. "How would you know?"

"Because I can see it in the way that you two look at each other," Stratus answered. "Both of you, especially Certo, always seem to be trying to figure the other one out each time one of you says something. It's as if you're trying to get inside the other one's head to understand where they are coming from. I think that if you two spend some alone time to get to truly know one another, your bond will become that much stronger. No secrets. No lies. Just open honesty in the name of, what I think, is a wonderful, and possibly a very strong friendship." Crona hung her head again and Stratus smiled warmly at her. "Think about it while Certo recovers. It may do you both some good when he wakes up."

"I hope so," Crona thought privately as the librarian turned back to flying ahead. A few minutes later, Crona spotted the open field. The trees at the edge of the clearing were pitch black and bending away from the eye of the explosion.

As the two dragons came in for a landing, Crona found the area to be teeming with activity. All around were sentries and volunteers who had survived the night before, busily working together to build what looked to Crona like a small temple, but with the comforts of a home pavilion. There was a large central chamber with a rough domed roof which looked like it had been done rather hastily. This central chamber had a long stretching corridor branching out, allowing the healers to come and go in groups if needed. Alongside the chamber was a slightly smaller one which led to a pit that had been dug beneath the first. The overall structure looked well built in the short time the dragons had been out there, but Crona was still curious as to the whole purpose of the make-shift building.

The workers stopped what they were doing and looked at Stratus and Crona as they approached the pavilion. The librarian stopped at the entrance and looked down at Crona. "Go on in. I'll wait here for you."

Crona stood still for a moment before taking a step forward. She slowly entered the long corridor; it was surprisingly warm inside. Up ahead, Crona could see light from the outside shining into the main chamber. There were faint voices echoing down the hall but none were clear enough for her to understand what was being said until she got closer.

"I don't care if it's only a few inches," an irritated voice growled. "If we move him at all while he's in this condition, we're taking a big risk."

"I know we agreed not to move him back to the city," another male's voice protested. "But right now I'm worried that his body is not getting enough heat. The vents here are doing well to circulate fresh air but my concern is that it's being recycled too quickly. If we want to entice his body into recovering, then he needs more heat."

"Is the furnace not providing enough warmth?" Crona immediately recognized Thundra's voice.

"Perhaps it's not the furnace that's not giving off enough heat, but the insulation of this structure," another female's voice offered. "If you think about it, we've only had a few hours to construct this field hospital. It's nowhere near adequate enough to be considered efficient unless we're treating a cold."

"So what do you suggest?" The first male's voice asked.

"Installing some sort of insulation would be a start," The female replied. "Maybe by seeding some moss around the inside and increasing the humidity would do him some good."

"I like that idea," Thundra said approvingly. "It would provide warmth and moisture as well as cleanse any toxins that may be hindering his recovery."

"Thundra, he's been wounded," A third male's voice pointed out rather critically. "He's not dying from poisoning." Crona felt her heart skip a beat when she heard the male's voice. She stood at the end or the corridor staring at the five healers who were all grouped together with their medicinal supplies scattered about.

"I am well aware," Thundra retorted, a slight hiss in her voice. "I am ruling out any possible drawbacks so Certo can recover enough so that we can return him to the city for proper recuperation."

"Very well then," the male apologized. He was an earth dragon and the youngest of the group judging by his height and body mass in comparison. "If that is the case I can return to the city and retrieve some specimens from the botanical archives." He turned to leave and stopped when he saw Crona standing in the doorway. "Well hello there," He said with a nervous smile. "Can we help you?"

Thundra and the others turned around and the lightning dragoness's eyes widened. "Crona. My dear, what are you doing here? You should be resting."

"I... I came because I wanted to see Certo," the dragoness replied softly.

The healers all shared a tense glance. The largest male, a lightning dragon as well, opened his mouth to speak, but Thundra cut him off before he could reject Crona's request.

"Of course dearie. Give us a moment."

Crona nodded and sat patiently while Thundra turned to the others. "Let us take a little break here. We can go back to the city and retrieve any additional supplies we may need before meeting back here."

"Who will stay behind and tend to the young one?" The other dragoness, a fire-breather, asked solemnly.

"Crona will," Thundra answered.

"What?" The other healers gasped.

"But she's still so young," The larger male said critically, inciting a fierce glare from the white dragoness; a quick change of her mood. Her blue eyes were beautiful but they quickly struck a note of fear and caution in the male's heart.

"She may not look like she is old enough," Thundra explained. "But she is wiser beyond her years. I have no doubt in my mind that watching after her mate will be a task she can handle." Crona blinked and jerked her head back to Thundra, who flashed her a sly wink. She could see the young dragoness's white cheeks suddenly turn pink with heated embarrassment.

"They're mates?" The female gasped.

"Of course." Tundra nodded. "Why else would I allow her to take care of him while we're gone? Now let us be on our way. I'm sure Crona could use some time alone."

The other healers murmured their agreements and gathered some of their supplies. Each of them nodded respectfully as they passed by Crona on their way. Thundra hung back until they were all gone before ushering Crona over to her side. The white dragoness stepped hesitantly forward. The lightning dragoness's expression had suddenly grown serious now that she and Crona were alone. The room suddenly became deathly silent with the only noise coming from the dragons outside. Crona could hear her heart pounding against her chest and held her breath.

Thundra sighed, pursing her lips and stepped backwards. Crona stopped in her tracks when she saw the black dragon lying on the bare, burned ground. Certo looked like a dead animal. He lay on his side with his wings draped across the ground and his legs stretched out. After the initial shock had passed, Crona moved closer to the fallen dragon. His eyes, which had been gaping wide at one point were now closed, but his mouth still hung open. The dirt beneath him was heavily stained with blood that had not fully dried yet. The rims around Certo's nostrils and mouth were still encrusted with dried blood, giving him a very corpse-like appearance.

Crona wanted to cry. She hated seeing him in this condition. If she could have she would have just run away so she wouldn't have to look at him anymore. But right now she had to be strong; strong for herself and for him. The white dragoness let out a sad sigh and sat on her haunches.

"There's still hope for him," Thundra murmured, draping a wing around Crona's shoulders.

"How much, is the question?" Crona mumbled. She suddenly felt sick to her stomach and weak in the knees, as if she could no longer support her own weight.

"That all depends on you," Thundra replied, withdrawing her wing and gathering her supplies. "I'll leave you two alone for a while. If you need anything at all, just ask one of the sentries to fetch me. I want you watching over him at all times."

"I guess I can do that."

"Good," Thundra said with a nod. "I'll be back soon. Good luck and try not to move him too much."

Crona looked up at Thundra as she turned and began walking down the hall. When the lightning dragoness had gone, Crona turned back to her friend. For a long time, all she could do was sit and stare at him. Certo's sides barely moved, making Crona believe that he had stopped breathing several times. Occasionally she could hear the loud hissing of fire dragons just outside the pavilion as they lit the furnace that had been dug underneath the charred ground. Crona would have enjoyed the warmth even more if it were under better circumstances. After a while she lay down beside the air dragon and scooted as close as she could in order to drape a wing over his back. When she did this she thought she detected a subtle change in Certo's nearly silent breathing; but he did not move an inch from where he was. Crona sighed again and closed her eyes.

"Wake up Certo," She pleaded in her mind. "Hurry and wake up."

A drop of water from an overhanging icicle startled Crona from her slumber. The young dragoness jolted awake and looked around. She was still inside the hole she had scrambled into when the dreadwing was chasing her. The entrance, however, was now buried in snow. Crona began digging to get herself out of the hole in the wall but stopped when she remembered the dreadwing. What if it was still out there? Had it gone? If so how long had she been unconscious? She would not find the answers to these questions until she dug herself out.

The moment her tiny paw broke through the densely packed snow, a chill swept through Crona's body. The dragoness ducked back inside her hiding hole and tucked her wings close to her side. It was cold outside but in such a tiny, confined space, it was warmer than the outside. Crona took in a deep breath before digging out a hole large enough for her to squeeze through. As soon as her head poked out, she peered straight into the face of the dead dreadwing.

The little dragoness shrieked and ducked back inside the hole, expecting the creature to furiously start digging her out again at any second. When nothing happened, she dared to move closer to the hole she had dug out of the snow and poke her head out once more. The horned bat lay crushed beneath a crumbled catapult, its face twisted in pain, frozen by the sleet and ice blowing across the frozen tundra. Crona sighed, almost wanting to laugh at herself for acting so childish.

The dragoness crawled out of her hiding hole and clambered over the mound of rubble, buried under the condensed snow, before sliding down to the ground. The wind howled, blowing the stinging ice particles into her face. Crona shivered as she forced herself to trudge across the open ice, keeping herself low, staying beneath the wind. The blizzard was blinding. On top of that, Crona could feel her stomach gurgling from lack of food. She checked her pouch to find only two fruits remaining; she must have dropped the other five when being chased by the dreadwing. Crona sighed and decided to save them for later when her hunger pains were more serious.

"I have to keep moving," she thought to herself. "I have to push on, no matter what."

"Crona," a gentle voice whispered. The white dragoness murmured but did not rouse from her slumber. "Crona, we need you to wake up, dearie."

Crona mumbled some gibberish and lifted her eyelids just a crack. The pavilion was darker than before and she was about to fall back asleep when she felt a cold muzzle brush her side. The white dragoness shrank away from the chilled scales on Thundra's face and looked up at her groggily. The lightning dragoness had returned with the other healers who were quietly setting down their fresh supplies.

"We have some work that needs to be done," Thundra whispered, keeping her voice low. "If you wouldn't mind giving us some space so we can tend to Certo, it would help us a lot."

Crona looked down at the black dragon sleepily and immediately wished she was back asleep. Ultimately she longed for him to be awake and well, but that was most likely not going to happen right now, if any time soon. But in order for things to get any better with him, she would have to follow the healers' orders. "I understand," she yawned, getting to her feet and stretching out her body.

"Thank you dearie," Thundra nuzzled her with a cold snout again. "If you wish, I can send someone to retrieve you once we're done and you can stay with him a little longer next time."

"I would appreciate it," Crona murmured. She gave Certo one last sad glance before walking back down the long corridor. She could already feel the chill from the outside; a significant difference from the extreme warmth of the pavilion chamber. Up ahead she could see that the sun had almost completely set over the horizon; Thundra and the other healers had indeed been gone for at least a couple of hours. Once outside, she spotted Stratus lying beside one of the many bonfires scattered about the open field. The elder earth dragon raised his head when he heard Crona's footsteps crunch across the scorched earth.

"Are you well?" He asked sleepily, having been trying to nod off the past couple of hours.

"As well as can be expected, I suppose," Crona answered plainly. She looked around the camp ground as the sentries patrolled the edge of the forest, stopping every so often to listen or taste the air. "I think I may return to the city so I'm not in anyone's way here."

"If you are sure, then I would be happy to escort you." The old dragon rose to his feet and stretched, popping his vertebrae and joints.

"I'll be fine on my own, but thank you." Crona bowed slightly. She was thankful for the offer, but right now she needed some time to think.

"Very well then. Fly safely young dragoness." Stratus nodded, accepting her decision.

Crona only smiled and took to the air, heading for the city. As she flew she found her thoughts drifting back to Certo. What had happened that made him lose control of his power? Was it Neros? The albino had clearly come with the intention of testing his brother's limits, and he had succeeded. Neros knew what needed to be done to get under Certo's scales. Somehow he had known that Certo's emotions would eventually lead to his downfall, but how? Certo had mastered his new power already; or so she thought. So many questions and so many facts arose that did not make any sense for her. When she returned to the library, she would have to refer to her notes from Certo's training. Perhaps the answer was in there.

When Crona passed over the city wall, she felt a slightly warmer updraft carry her towards the upper levels of the city. The white dragoness held her wings open, riding the gentle thermal towards the library. As she floated along, she spotted a familiar site below. After thinking about it for a moment, Crona folded her wings and dove towards the small plaza. She circled around the fountain in the middle and came to a soft landing. This was the same place where she and Certo had fought off the apes together during the second attack. Looking around she could see the incident play itself out before her; the apes hunting her down, the black dragon appearing to heroically draw them away from her, giving her the time she needed to retaliate.

Crona walked over to a burn mark that remained on the stone; it was where she had attacked using the lightning from the blue mist. "This is where you thanked me," Crona mumbled to herself. She could almost feel the black dragon beside her. "It was here I proved to you, that no matter what, I would always have your back. That I would always support you as my friend."

Hearing herself speak seemed to give Crona more confidence. She suddenly became filled with energy she did not think she had. The dragoness straightened herself out, holding her tail high and her legs braced. She held her chin up and closed her eyes, sucking in the blue mist around her. The magical energy refreshed her from the inside out, cooling her senses, as well as settling her heart and mind. Until now, she had forgotten that the magic of the world could be used to heal and restore her lost stamina.

"I wonder if I could use it on Certo," she pondered aloud. All of a sudden, an idea struck her like a bolt of lightning. "I've got it!" She suddenly exclaimed, before quieting down, realizing she had just shouted out loud.

Crona sprang into the air once again and flew straight towards Kia's home pavilion. The air dragoness's home was lit with lanterns inside, but the dragoness herself was nowhere to be found. "She's probably out on patrol with the guards," Crona thought to herself. She headed to the back room where she and Certo had once stayed before taking up residence in the library. Much to her surprise the guest room was still just as neat and clean as she last remembered it; the single potted memorium sat alone on the balcony. Crona walked up to the pale blue flower and inspected it closely in the dim light. She remembered Certo putting up a fuss about taking care of it just in case she needed it again. This was the flower he had brought to her to save her life once before. Crona reached out with her paw and delicately fondled the plant between her talons. Seeing this precious flower sitting here did not sit right in her mind. If it was such a strong remedy, then why couldn't she use it to save the black dragon's life? No one was around to say it wouldn't work. But what if it didn't? Would it do Certo any good or would it only cause more complications?

The white dragoness shook those doubtful thoughts out of her head and grabbed hold of the pot in her two front paws. She dove over the balcony railing and quickly banked upwards towards the night sky, heading towards the library. When she got there, Stratus had just arrived himself. When he saw the young dragoness with the memorium his jaw dropped.

"Crona, is that what I think it is?" He leaned down towards her and inspected the memorium closely before looking Crona in the eye. "Are you planning to use it?"

Crona nodded once. "I am! I don't know how much it will help if at all, but if I can save Certo's life with it then I'll do it without a second thought."

Stratus eyed her keenly before straightening up. "Very well then. Let us get to work in that case."

Crona's eyes widened. "You're going to help? But you've done enough already. I don't want to bother you when you're tired."

"Young dragoness, when I first met Certo, he said he would do anything to save your life. My ancestor Annol, the previous head librarian before me, was willing to help because you had the same disease as his late life mate. Now I'm helping on account that I respect and admire both you and Certo. Not just as fellow dragons but as icons for our future. Helping one another is the greatest lesson you have taught those of us who live in this city." The old dragon turned and escorted the white dragoness inside. He led her towards the back of the library where a door had been concealed behind a large curtain. Stratus parted the cloth with a wing and pressed a paw against the stone, his energy surrounding the stone entrance. With a loud grind, the stone slid open, revealing a long dark corridor. "Stay close," Stratus coaxed. "And watch your step."

Crona swallowed hard as she held the pot close to her breast with one paw, while hobbling clumsily on her other. She could feel the thorny leaves brushing against her scales, but she ignored the mild irritation as she followed Stratus into the hall. The earth dragon closed the door behind him so no one else could stumble upon the hidden apparent secret. Not wishing to stumble anywhere, Crona closed her eyes and concentrated. She gave a startled gasp when the blue mist appeared in her mind's eye.

"Is something wrong?" Stratus asked, pausing to glance over his shoulder as if he could see her. He too had his eyes closed, allowing himself to concentrate on where he was going.

"N-no. Just hiccuped." Crona breathed, gasping in a little more.

"Very well then, just be careful."

Crona could see the earth dragon's energy amongst the blue mist which hung extremely heavily in the corridor. The magical energy was far denser here than any other place she had been in her lifetime. But why here? Had the flow of magic been this abundant inside the library the entire time? Crona could feel the energy filling her lungs, making her feel like she was growing inside; becoming enriched with power.

The head librarian led the white dragoness down a flight of spiraling stairs which descended for quite a distance. All the while, Crona could feel the blue mist getting stronger. It was becoming so packed in, that the dragoness could barely make out the steps beneath her feet. It was not until Stratus stopped and Crona bumped into his tail that she realized they had come to the bottom of the steps and were coming to the end of another corridor. Here, the mist was so thick that Crona felt like she was having a hard time breathing. Just when she thought she was going to suffocate from the pressure, Stratus spoke.

"Here we are." Crona's eyes opened and her jaw dropped. They were in a small garden, no larger than three adult dragons could cram themselves into, but with a wall that loomed up several stories. The stone was old and the moonlight shone in through the holes where bricks had been knocked out or crumbled away, and all along the wall were memoriums. Stratus smiled when he saw the stupefied dragoness take an awestruck step forward. "We were given these flowers as a gift by Certo. When he was searching for a cure for your illness, he gave us a small sampling in case any other dragons needed the medicine produced by these wondrous flowers in the future."

Crona continued to stare in astonishment at the sight before her as she stepped carefully around the garden. Most of the plants were still young, barely producing anything more than buds. But the abundance of these rare plants was what stunned her the most. "They're beautiful," She murmured softly as she watched fireflies dance among the leaves and pedals.

"Indeed." Stratus lay down next to a pair of memoriums which were in full bloom. He cupped their stems between his claws as his paw began to glow. The earth dragon's energy spread out around the garden and up the wall where the memoriums were beginning to climb. "Certo is a very special dragon. He cares for those who may be in need, even if he does come across as being slightly hostile."

Crona chuckled as she imagined the black dragon's stern expression. It definitely had become his signature feature in Crona's mind. As she set the potted memorium down, she closed her eyes once again. What she saw in her mind's eye astounded her even more; the blue mist was emanating from the memoriums themselves. She could see the magical mist flowing through the gaping holes in the wall, settling into the ground itself as well as flowing through the plants. The roots of the memoriums extended deep into the soft soil, drawing up the rich, pure minerals in the earth. The mist was being drawn through these memoriums as well, being expelled in a much denser form.

"How did these flowers grow so fast?" Crona asked, opening her eyes. "It hasn't been that long since you received these."

"Every day, Verona and I come down to inspect them," Stratus replied. "These gifts are precious and require every bit of attention they deserve. It would be a shame to allow Certo's gift to be wasted due to neglect."

"Yeah," Crona murmured. Thinking about Certo again made a faint smile tug at her cheek. He really did have a kind heart, despite his insecurities and his fear of showing his affections towards others.

Seeing the white dragoness in thought brought Stratus's attention back to the situation at hand. "Take these," he ordered, digging up two of the memoriums. Crona watched as the librarian took her pot and a scoop of dirt before meshing the three plants into one condensed bowl. "Use them to your benefit. If you find no use, then please return them."

"I will, Stratus." Crona bowed. "Thank you." Stratus handed her the bowl as she took to the air, hovering in order to reach out and grasp the dish in her paws.

"Hurry now, young dragoness. Time is of the essence." Stratus thrust his head towards the sky. The half-cylinder wall opened at the top to reveal the clouds beyond along the edge of the cliff side. Crona beat her wings harder, paying careful attention to the delicate package she carried. Once clear of the secret garden, she took off around the side of the mountain. Glancing back over her shoulder she could barely see the small break in the rock along the cliff side. The path from the library had led them to the northern end of the city, where the overhanging cliff edge shrouded the garden from the view of any curious onlookers.

Crona tucked the flowers to her chest and shot around the side of the mountain, heading to the southwest. The sun would not be coming up for several hours, and Crona was beginning to feel glad she had taken the earlier nap. For what she was about to try, she would need all the strength she could get.

When the white dragoness reached the field hospital, the site was buzzing with activity. Sentries still patrolled the perimeter of the field, tasting the air for any signs of nearby intruders. Beside the main chamber of the pavilion was a trio of earth dragons, tearing away at the trunk of a fallen oak tree. A nearby fire breather, a volunteer much to Crona's surprise, moved back and forth, throwing the broken chunks of oak into the furnace pit below the main chamber before breathing more fire upon the wood itself. The glow of the flames almost seemed inviting to Crona as she circled hospital and landed beside the entrance.

Inside, Crona could see the dimly lit room at the back of the hall. She set the bowl down and glanced around, making sure no one else was watching. When the coast was clear, she raised a paw, drawing a green orb from the blue mist. The earth element seemed to rattle against her paw before she pushed it into the ground, causing a mound of dirt to push the heavy bowl down to the end of the corridor.

"What was that?" A voice from the main chamber. Crona cursed to herself as she hurried to catch up to the dish. Earth was the hardest of the elements for her to control next to the mist itself. She stepped out of the shadows into the main chamber and smiled sheepishly at the healers.

"Sorry, did I disturb you?" She asked, trying to play off as innocent.

"No dear." Thundra shook her head. "You just gave us a startle, that's all."

"Sorry," Crona continued to put on her act, hoping the other healers would buy it; she knew Thundra was not easy to fool. The lightning dragoness immediately understood the situation when she saw the young female turn and push the bowl with the three memoriums into the room for the healers to see. "I was hoping these would help us a bit."

"Are those what I think they are?" The young earth male gasped, staring with wide eyes.

"Memoriums," The orange female exhaled and a puff of smoke escaped her gaping maw.

"Aren't those the same flowers Certo brought you?" Crona turned to see Amp sitting in the corner beside an open hole in the floor where smoke was coming up from the furnace below. The lightning guardian glanced at Crona but quickly averted his eyes in, as Crona perceived it, an almost shameful manner.

"That they are." Thundra nodded as she inspected them closely, but then looked to Crona. "I don't know how much these will help though."

"I know," Crona nodded. "But I have to take a chance. For Certo's sake."

Thundra looked to her fellow healers who only shrugged. "It couldn't hurt," the elder male pointed out.

"Then we shall give it a shot," Thundra announced, standing tall before Crona. "Ampus, grab my dish and have one of the sentries give you some ice."

Amp got to his feet with only a nod and grabbed a large wooden bowl in his mouth. As he walked by Crona, he averted his eyes away from her. Crona turned to watch him go, ignoring the healers as they chatted amongst themselves, gathering their supplies again. When he came back, Crona stared at him hard. It was clear that something was going on with the young guardian. The orange dragoness cracked the ice, drawing Crona's attention away from Amp as he settled down into the corner again beside the furnace vent. Crona watched as the young male withdrew one of the flowers and crushed it into the bowl. He proceeded to use a thick claw to mash the plant in with the quickly melting ice to create an almost mush-like substance.

All of a sudden, a thought hit Crona, nearly knocking her off her feet. If the plant was being ground up, what was happening to the magical energy they contained. The dragoness closed her eyes, focusing on the single memorium. She could see most of the concentrated blue mist from the memorium beginning to evaporate into the flowing stream of magic leaving behind very little of the energy itself. Crona's heart began to beat faster as she frantically searched for an idea of what to do. She had to use that energy to heal Certo, but at the same time she couldn't expose herself to the healers. "Don't go!" Crona cried in her mind. "Stay!"

As if to respond to her silent plea, the evaporating mist halted, surprising Crona. Seeing her chance, the dragoness reached out with her mind, drawing the thick energy back into the crushed memorium.

"Crona," Thundra called for the third time.

"Huh?" Crona's eyes snapped open, nearly causing herself to lose her grip on the blue mist.

"We're going to spread this on Certo's wounds," Thundra explained, ignoring the dragoness's sudden reaction to her voice. "We don't want to chance forcing any into him like we did with you when you were sick, seeing that his condition is much worse."

"We hope that the medicine will be absorbed into his blood stream once we get started," the young male continued. "As for the rest of him, it will help ease any discomfort he might be feeling."

"Is that alright with you?" Thundra asked, knowing full well how smart the young dragoness was.

Crona looked from Thundra to Certo, then to the other healers. "May I be the one to do this part?"

The healers seemed a bit taken back by the suddenness of the request.

"Do you think you can apply the ointment without disturbing him too much?" The elder earth dragon asked, narrowing his hazel eyes at her. "We understand he's your mate, but you may want us to handle the professional work."

"I'm sure Crona knows what she is doing," Thundra interrupted before the white dragoness could speak. She could see Crona was close to snapping something sharp and witty at the elder. Thundra waved a paw for Crona to come closer. "Go on dearie. Would you like any of us to help you?"

"I can handle this," Crona shook her head and closed her eyes as she sat down beside Certo. The younger male scooted the bowl closer to her and Crona dipped her paw into the gel-like substance. The blue mist was still retaining its presence within the ointment, putting Crona's nerves to rest.

"Don't worry about reopening his wounds," The male pointed out. "It may do him some good."

Crona did not have time to think about his comment as she placed her paw against Certo's side. She could feel how weak he was, how much blood he had lost in the last twenty-four hours. As she glazed his side with her paw, she could feel each of his ribs extruding from his skin. When her paw felt a faint pulse, she stopped. The black dragon's heart beat was almost nothing; not as it had been before. The dragoness remembered when she had first listened to the strong pounding of his heart after his first encounter with Neros. It had felt good to her then, almost soothing.

"I'm not going to let you die Certo," she thought to herself. "Not without a fight." The blue mist from the memorium seemed to linger on the black dragon's hide as Crona gently dragged her paw back down his side. With each pass of her paw she would concentrate on the healing energy seeping into Certo's body. In her mind's eye, the crimson aura that had once burned bright was barely a flicker in his chest, like a candle preparing to die out. Crona took another scoop of the ointment, drawing more magic from the stream around her as well as the remaining memoriums across the room. She focused on Certo's crimson aura, pushing the mist to merge with the black dragon's. The magical energy gathered around the dying light, engulfing it.

The white dragoness took another dip of the ointment before pressing her paw against Certo's side, slightly harder this time. Her brow knitted into an intense wrinkle as she forced more energy into the black dragon's body. The blue mist seemed to be overwhelming the crimson aura, practically smothering it. "Come on Certo," Crona pondered silently. "Work with me here! Help me help you!"

"Crona? Are you alright dearie?" Thundra asked. In the corner, Amp raised his head to see that the white dragoness had stopped moving altogether. "Crona?"

"Come on Certo! Please!" Crona murmured, not noticing the healer's gentle voice. The young dragoness gritted her teeth as she forced more mist into the body before her. By now Certo's aura had been completely engulfed by the blue mist. Crona began to believe that the magic of the world around her had snuffed his energy out, when she felt a sudden rush of heat; not from the furnace beneath, but the black dragon's body. The crimson aura blazed bright in her mind's eye, as it spread back throughout Certo's body. The once faint heartbeat that had felt so distant began to grow stronger, and Crona could feel the dragon's sides rise and fall with his breathing.

"I don't believe it," the elder earth dragon gasped. The other healers all gaped in wide-eyed shock as they saw the black dragon's breathing begin to regulate.

Amp rose to his feet and took a few steps forward. Even in the low light, he could see Certo finally breathing normally. A smile tugged at his cheek but he could not allow himself to smile completely.

Crona opened her eyes and smiled. She dipped her paw again, stroking the black dragon's neck, letting him know, whether he was conscious or not, that she was there for him.

Thundra raised her eyes to see her compatriots staring at the white dragoness. She hissed, grabbing their attention. She motioned for them to follow her outside and led them down the corridor. As they emerged into the chilly night, several of the sentries turned their attention from their patrols.

"Is there anything new to report?" Azurite asked. Voltrus had put him in charge of protecting the field hospital as it was quickly constructed, and safeguarding the black dragon.

"I don't know what to make of it." The elder shook his head. "It's like we were losing him, but that young female just brought him back to life."

"It's like magic," The fire dragoness breathed, bobbing her head in agreement with her fellow healer.

"Crona has a very special bond with Certo," Thundra explained. Her voice was stern as she did not like the tone her fellow dragons were taking while discussing the white dragoness. "They share so much with one another, they can almost respond to the other's presence as if their souls were bound together."

"I can attest for that." Azurite nodded. "Those two are extremely lucky to have one another." He turned to the other healers and nodded his approval. "Thank you for all your hard work."

"It's what we do," the elder male bowed slightly, unsure if they should truly be taking the credit for the black dragon's revival.

Back inside, Amp stared silently at Crona as she continued to smear the medicinal ointment across Certo's body. He felt dirty inside, almost to the point where he was restless. Never before had he felt so sick inside that he wanted to crawl into a hole and disappear.

"Amp, is there something you want to tell me?" Crona asked, without turning to face him.

Her sudden question caused the lightning dragon to squeak, and his quills to stand on end. "Well... I..." He stared at his paws as he searched for the words to say. "I... I wanted to say I'm sorry to Certo... I... I doubted him. I thought he didn't care about us back there and that he only cared about killing his brother." Crona stopped what she was doing and turned to face him. "It... It made me mad that he was willing to sacrifice our lives to destroy him... and I... well... for a minute I thought Volcanus was right about him. About everything."

Crona felt her face grow hot with anger but the feeling quickly subsided. She let out a sigh and dipped her paw again before stroking Certo's hind leg. "Amp, you know Certo isn't the most open dragon around when it comes to his feelings. He carries a lot more pain than you could ever possibly fathom. Neros knows this and used it to exploit him. The fact that Certo lost control of his power is my fault entirely. I should have been there for him more than I was. And I will not have him lose himself ever again."

Amp only shook his head. "If only you knew the half of it."

Crona turned back to stare at the guardian, narrowing her eyes at him. "What do you mean?"

Amp sighed as he thought about what his next course of action would be. After a tense moment, he rose to his feet and headed towards the corridor. "Follow me. I promise you'll get your answer."

"Why can't you just tell me here?" Crona asked skeptically. The lightning dragon's sudden hesitance was making her weary.

"Because Sabre is the one who has to tell you."

"Then bring her here. I don't want to leave Certo if there's more I can do for him. Besides, can't you just tell me yourself?"

Amp shook his head. "Trust me Crona. This is something you'll have to hear for yourself."

Crona studied the yellow dragon's expression for a long time. Her staring seemed to make him more uncomfortable and he began to fidget nervously. "Alright," she gave in. "Let's go."

Amp bobbed his head slightly. "I'm sorry in advance." His words were not making Crona feel any more comfortable about what was coming to her. The two of them walked out into the cool night and Crona took in a deep breath. The air sent a chill through her, making her wish she were back inside once more. Amp whispered to Thundra what he was doing and she nodded. As the healers went back inside, Amp turned to Crona who stared after them. "I'm sure he'll be fine until you come back."

Crona remained silent but followed Amp back to the city anyways. He had sparked her curiosity enough to get her to desire more knowledge on what he was acting so strangely about. The flight back was quiet with not a single word passing between them. Amp led Crona straight to his home, landing on the balcony to Terra's room. A curtain covered the doorway from the balcony and Crona immediately felt her stomach tie up into a knot. Amp ducked inside, holding the drape open for Crona to follow him inside. The only light came from a single lantern hanging in the middle of the room. Terra's room was empty which made Crona even more edgy considering that the couple was nearly inseparable.

"Wait here," Amp said, before walking into the hall. Crona wanted to sit down but her impatience and anxiety would not allow it. She heard whispering in the other room and a minute later, Terra and Sabre entered the room, followed by Amp.

Like Amp, Terra was hesitant to look Crona in the eye. Sabre on the other hand could not raise her eyes from the floor. Amp sat in front of the door, as if guarding it.

Crona turned to face Sabre who sat down on her haunches. "Crona, I'm sorry," She murmured.

Crona raised an eye brow. "What are you sorry for? Did you do something wrong? I mean besides spy on us." She had not forgotten what Certo had revealed to them when Sabre had first gone missing nearly a week and a half before.

Sabre looked up at the white dragoness, surprised at first, but hung her head as she recalled being found out by the black dragon she admired so deeply. She should not have been surprised that he would tell the dragoness he was always around. "Well, that... and... well... I..." Her voice was cracking and causing Crona to become more impatient. "I have to tell you, I didn't mean for any of this to happen. It... it was just..."

"Spit it out already!" Crona snapped, startling the others.

"Keep it down!" Terra hissed. "I don't want Maya waking up."

Sabre swallowed hard and began fidgeting nervously. "Everything that happened... spying on you, disappearing, making everyone worry, the fight, Certo... it's all my fault. If I hadn't... If I had only followed after Certo rather than tracking down the apes... he wouldn't be..." Sabre stifled a sob, but Crona's fierce eyes remained locked on her.

"You followed after the apes? On your own?" Sabre nodded and Crona's lip curled. "What were you thinking Sabre? Did they find you?"

"Well... eventually... sort of... It was mostly because of Certo's brother."

"Neros?" Crona gasped, surprised that the ice dragoness had even been spared to begin with.

Sabre nodded. "I followed after the apes and they led me to their village."

"Did they know you were following them?" Crona asked skeptically.

"No," Sabre shook her head. "At least I don't think so."

Crona groaned and rubbed her temples with her talons. "Sabre, that was incredibly stupid of you! If those apes had found out you were following them, they would have easily turned on you!"

"But they didn't!" Sabre protested. "That's how I managed to find where their village was."

"She says that the apes are beginning to move into dragon territory," Amp revealed. "I've already informed Nitrus of this."

Crona barely paid the guardian any attention as she continued to leer at Sabre. "So why is it that Neros decided to spare you?" She asked. "I've encountered him before and he would not let go of any chance to murder another dragon."

Sabre's mouth suddenly felt dry. She had never seen Crona this tense before, and it frightened her almost as much as seeing Certo in the same state. "I... I ..." She stammered trying to find a way to explain her actions, even though she knew there would be no forgiveness waiting for her.

"Well?" Crona demanded, taking a step closer to her.

"I told him everything," Sabre sighed, turning her gaze away. "I told him everything about you and Certo working together. I told him all about how you were always there for Certo and how he ignored me. That you had figured out how Certo's power works and that it was because of you we could defeat him."

Crona felt her face burn with anger and Terra shrank away slightly. "You told him the secret to Certo's power?" Crona had to turn away for a moment. "I didn't realize that Neros was only there to watch Certo destroy himself with his own strength until it was too late. I didn't know how he could have known what to do in order to make Certo's rage consume him to the point of no return." The white dragoness turned back to face Sabre. "But now it all makes sense! It was because of you!"

"I'm sorry, Crona!" Sabre sobbed, tears beginning to well up around her eyes.

"You're sorry?" Crona could barely stand to look at the blue dragoness. She began to pace back and forth to keep herself from lashing out at her. "You can tell you're sorry to someone who cares! What in the world were you thinking? To tell the one dragon who wishes someone you claim to care so much about every secret about him so he can kill him? How do you apologize for something like that?" Sabre's gaze turned away from her. Crona paused to study the ice dragoness and felt another wave of heat sweep over her face. In an instant she understood what was not being said. "Because of me?" She nearly choked on her own words.

"It was not my intention!" Sabre shot back. "I... I just..."

Crona could not hold herself back anymore. She pounced on top of Sabre, pinning the younger dragoness to the floor, and slapped her across the face with her talons. Sabre screamed, fearing that the white dragons would take her life at any moment.

"Crona! Stop!" Terra shouted. She and Amp rushed in to try and pry the two girls away from one another. Crona hissed and spat as Sabre rolled to her feet, shaken by the sudden ferocity of the attack.

"You just what Sabre? You thought that by working with Neros, he would stop attacking the city? That he would let you have Certo all to yourself? That once I was out of the picture everything would be fine and dandy for you?"

"I knew he was after you!" Sabre shot back. "I wanted you gone because I couldn't stand seeing you with the dragon I love! I know it was wrong! But you don't care about Certo the way I do. If you had a chance to get everything you ever wanted, wouldn't you do so?"

"No!" Crona snarled, surprising the ice dragoness. "I've tried that before! And all I've found out is that some things are not meant to be, despite how much it hurts!"

Sabre's eyes were wide with shock. "I... I don't believe you! You couldn't possibly have any logic behind your reasoning!"

"Oh don't I?" Crona growled. She shoved Amp and Terra out of the way and brought her nose to Sabre's. "Look me in the eye and say that again. Tell me that I haven't had my share of hurt and pain! Tell me I haven't tried to live on despite carrying it around every waking moment of my life! I've tried to change things for myself, hoping that I would be happier. But you have to look beyond just you Sabre. It's not just about what we want for ourselves, but for dragons everywhere."

"What are you talking about?" Terra asked, now really confused on what point her friend was trying to make.

"I'm talking about thinking about others before yourself," Crona hissed, turning away from Sabre for just a second. "Did you think about what Neros would do once he got me?"

Sabre shook her head. "He never told me."

"I didn't think so," Crona snorted, backing away from the dragoness. "But did you have any idea how this would affect Certo? Did you even care?"

"I didn't mean for things to go this far! I didn't even want anything to happen to Certo."

"Didn't mean to?" Crona hissed. "Do you have any clue what you've done? Certo is still out there where he fell! He nearly destroyed himself, because Neros used what you told him to get Certo to take his own life. Certo nearly died, in order to get back at him! Is that what you didn't mean to do?"

"N-no! I didn't!" Sabre squeaked, bracing herself for another attack.

"Of course you didn't," Crona said softer but with all the hostility still hanging thick in her voice. "You claim to love Certo, but you sure have a funny way of showing it. Do you understand Certo's motives at all? What drives him to do the things he does?" Sabre fell silent and Crona squinted at her. "That's about what I thought."

"Then why don't you tell her," Amp suggested, not liking the way Crona was severely belittling the ice dragoness. He was upset with Sabre as well but Crona was taking her verbal punishment to an extreme.

"Because it would do her no good," Crona growled, fixing him with an icy stare. "I had to figure it out on my own, and if she remotely has a shred of compassion left for Certo, she'll figure it out on her own as well." The white dragoness turned and looked Sabre square in the eye. "If you want to understand Certo, you have to actually get to know him first above anything else. He has to trust you in order for him to be remotely open."

"But I offered myself to him as his mate!" Sabre exclaimed, her tears beginning to rise up again. "I was willing to give myself to him so he could trust me! I hate seeing him so dark and depressed all the time, so I thought I could change that."

A growl resonated in Crona's throat. "Sabre, Certo doesn't need a lover, or a mate or life mate. If he did, don't you think he would have one already?"

"Then what does he need?" Sabre sobbed. "You seem to know him so much better, so why don't you just tell us?"

"He needs friends," Crona sighed, seeming to finally settle down. "He needs others to stand by his side and support him. I'm not sure how he feels about you, Vixen and the others. I know he values your lives, that I have no doubt. But I'm not certain how he views you all."

"What do you mean?" Terra asked. "He knows they like him. Does he not consider that to be a form of friendship?"

"Like I said, I don't know his point of view on it." Crona shook her head then turned to Sabre once more. "But I know that becoming life mates isn't something that happens just like that. You have to get to know the one you care about. You have to know them on a level that you could never possibly imagine before you can love them."

"So how is it you can't possibly love Certo?" Sabre sniffled. "I know I keep asking that, but how is it possible? You're with him from the moment he wakes up to the moment he shuts his eyes to go to sleep. You're the first and last thing he sees each day. He trusts you probably more than all the dragons of the city put together. And you claim to have no emotional attachment towards him. So how is it that you don't love him or like him in the slightest fashion?"

Crona suddenly felt her cheeks flush. She glanced down at her paws and began to fidget with her talons. After a moment of silent thought she raised her gaze back to Sabre. "I suppose it's because I know how Certo is so well that I don't have any emotional attachment to him. I'll always be there for him as a friend because that is what he needs more than anything in the world."

"But why can't you grow beyond that and fall in love with him?" Terra asked, pressing the question that was on everyone's mind.

"Because I just don't like him like that," Crona said, her cheeks burning with embarrassment. She began to wonder how the attention had been pinned on her all of a sudden. "He's always depressed, arrogant, simple-minded, and rags on himself for every little thing that goes on. If I ever wanted a... a boyfriend... at all, he would have to be smart and confident. Certo isn't anything like that, which is why I'm trying to help him overcome these faults."

"So you can fall in love with him?" Amp asked, raising an eye brow.

"No!" Crona snapped, the crimson spreading from her cheeks to the rest of her face. "Because, like Sabre, I want him to be happy. I know the pain he carries around all too well. And I think that being his friend above all else is more important than anything else in the world right now."

The three younger dragons fell silent for a long time. Crona used this time to get herself under control. She was wondering if the others could hear the way her heart pounded inside her chest. Why was it everyone insisted on believing that she and Certo were a couple? "Although," Crona thought to herself. "I suppose it did help persuade the other healers to let me help him at the field hospital."

"So what do we do now?" Amp asked solemnly.

Crona sighed, suddenly feeling cold and exhausted. "I don't know. Hope for the best but prepare for the worst," Sabre gasped, covering her mouth with a paw.

"What will Certo say when he wakes up?" Terra asked, glancing at Sabre to indicate what she meant.

Crona shook her head. "I don't know. But I imagine it will not be pretty." Sabre felt her heart sink into the pit of her stomach. If she had not felt bad before, she felt absolutely wretched now. Crona could see the worry in her eyes and the sadness upon her face. She felt glad that the young ice dragoness was getting to see the real picture about the black dragon, but it also left her with a bitter taste in her mouth. How could someone claim to care so much for another only to betray them without thinking? But even she had stepped into that situation before herself. The white dragoness sighed and turned to leave. "I'm heading back to the camp. I want to be there when Certo wakes up."

Sabre lifted her head, her eyes suddenly filled with hope. "He'll be okay?"

Crona paused to stare at her before speaking. "I think he'll be alright. Well... physically anyways. We'll see how he is when he hears about everything that's gone on recently." Sabre hung her head once more and Crona stepped out onto the balcony.

"Crona wait!" Amp called, bounding after her. The dragoness stopped and turned to look the guardian in the eye. "I... I just want to say... I'm sorry."

"Sorry?" Crona cocked her head curiously at him. "What for?"

"I... doubted Certo, like I told you... But... I also doubted you too. When Sabre told us what happened... I wasn't sure I could ever face you again until you knew the truth. And I'm sorry. I'm sorry for treating you that way."

Crona felt a smile tug at the corner of her mouth but refused to let it show. She waved a dismissive paw and shook her head dismissively. "Don't let it bother you Amp. We have bigger issues to worry about."

"But how can I?" Amp protested. "When I lost faith in my best friends, how do I make up for that?"

"What was it you once told Certo?" Crona asked, catching the yellow dragon by surprise. "Just move along." Before the guardian could say anything more, Crona turned and dove over the balcony, spreading her wings and taking off towards the wilderness beyond the city walls.

Amp stood speechless as he watched her fly away. Terra came out from behind the curtain and hung her head on his shoulder. Amp draped a wing about her back and sighed, thinking to himself. "Thank you Crona."

The days passed at a snail's pace for Crona. Long had she parted from the wastelands of Dante's Freezer only to find herself lost in a world of danger. Her travel harness was devoid of food, having eaten the last of what little rations she had gathered a day before. The young dragoness was growing weaker by the day, stubbornly waiting for her body to nearly collapse before taking a bite to eat. But now that she was out of food with no way to gather more, Crona could only push forward and hope to find land with something worth foraging for.

By now she had been flying listlessly over a vast ocean with very few small islands to rest here and there. It had been hours since she had last seen a resting spot and the dragoness began to let her head droop from exhaustion. She was thankful not to have run into any of the Dark Master's forces since leaving the frozen tundra. However, it had also meant she had not seen another dragon, let alone any creature that could lend her any assistance, as well.

Not realizing she was beginning to nod off, Crona's thoughts drifted back to her home. Was it still safe? Was it still the only safe refuge from the war that seemed to touch almost every part of the world? Was her father still looking for her, or had he assumed she was dead? What if he had assumed she was dead? What would he do then?

"Father," Crona whimpered, closing her eyes to squeeze her tears out. Closing her eyes only seemed to pull the dragoness into the darkness of unconsciousness. The young female did not realize she was plummeting towards the ocean below until she plunged into the chilling water. The sudden icy feeling sent a shock through Crona's body. Her limbs froze up on reflex as she began to fall away from the surface. Overhead she could see the sun shining down on her as she sank towards the bottom of the ocean. "I'm sorry Father." She wept silently before closing her eyes for good.

A gentle moan caused Crona to rouse from her dream. She opened her eyes and looked around the chamber of the field hospital. The sun was up and shining in through the vents in the dome, adding to the warmth provided by the underground furnace. The white dragoness yawned and immediately sneezed, expelling liquid from her nostrils.

"Ugh, gross," She grumbled, sitting up and snorting the get the rest of the water out. She wiped her nose as she looked around the chamber at the walls of moss which had been planted to increase the humidity. The earth dragon healers had taken small samplings of their moss collections to plant around the walls. They had also used their talents as earth dragons to encourage the moss to grow and spread rapidly, thus providing the chamber with more insolation and drastically increasing the humidity levels.

A sudden cough caught Crona's attention and her head snapped down to the black dragon beside her. Certo snorted loudly, blowing out the water that had gathered in his nostrils in a violent spray. Crona curled her lip in disgust at the sight, but said nothing as Certo continued to cough. When she saw blood form around the rim of his mouth, Crona began to panic as she remembered the first time he had been coughing up blood in front of her.

"Certo? Certo are you alright?" She exclaimed worriedly. The sudden sound of her voice got the attention of some of the dragons just outside who hurried in to see what the trouble was.

"What's going on?" An elder fire breather asked anxiously. "Is he taking another turn for the worse?"

"I don't know." Crona shook her head. "I can see blood. Get the healers, hurry!"

The elder glanced over his shoulder at two younger males, both ice dragons, and they quickly disappeared down the hall.

Crona leaned in closer towards Certo and nudged the side of his snout slightly. "Certo, are you awake? Can you hear me? If you can hear my voice, say something."

The dragoness's voice seemed to relax the young male. His coughing subsided, and he let out another agonized moan. All at once, Crona felt a smile spread across her muzzle when she saw him open his eyes. Certo blinked several times before focusing his vision on the white dragoness before him.

"Hey," he wheezed. A faint smile formed on his mouth.

"You're back," Crona gasped, trying to contain herself in front of him. "I thought we'd lost you." Certo was silent for a moment as he tried to recall what had happened. His brow knit into a slight wrinkle and Crona could see he was trying to think too much. "Don't worry about it right now," She coaxed, scooting closer to him. "Just rest and I'll explain everything when you've gotten your strength back. I promise."

Certo seemed to growl contently at having her by his side once more. Much to Crona's surprise, he bobbed his head, ever so slightly, before closing his eyes again. "I can live with that," He murmured as he began to drift off back to sleep. "Thank you."

"You're welcome." Crona smiled to herself before turning at the sounds of approaching footsteps. Thundra and the elder male healer entered the chamber and gathered around Crona.

"What happened?" The earth dragon asked. "Did he try to move at all?"

"No," Crona replied, backing away so they could look him over. "I just saw blood when he started coughing and panicked a little." The healers glanced at one another, reading into the other's expression before turning back to the black dragon.

"My guess is he still has some minor internal bleeding," the male continued before thanking the other dragons and ushering them out. "What's left may possibly be lingering in his throat which he will cough up naturally."

"Are you sure?" Crona asked hesitantly, glancing from the healer to the young male next to her.

"Unless you have any other solutions," the healer replied sarcastically.

"Terraus!" Thundra snapped in a scolding tone, and Crona gave the elder a disapproving scowl. "Don't be so rude!"

"I was merely making a point that at it would be best to let the young dragon's body heal on its own," The earth dragon retorted.

"Well if you must use a tone of sarcasm, be more courteous to your audience!" Thundra hissed and turned to look at Crona. "Sorry about him, dearie."

Crona only shot the earth healer an annoyed glare before curling back up next to Certo. She sighed contently as his sides pressed against her folded wings with each inhale he took.

Seeing that all was well, Thundra ushered Terraus out of the pavilion, leaving the white dragoness alone with her thoughts. Crona turned her head slightly until her cheek was barely grazing the tips of his facial horns.

"What do we do now, Certo?"


	30. Chapter 30

Several more days passed by quickly for Crona. She stayed beside the black dragon as he continued to regain his strength, little by little. Certo's first days awake were spent just trying to get food into his body so he could recover quicker. Unfortunately, any sort of solid food was immediately regurgitated with a large amount of blood. Eventually, Crona got the idea to use another memorium and grind it into a pulp-like substance, hoping it would sit better in Certo's stomach. However, the black dragon was quick to reject any possible ideas regarding the rare flowers.

"Why not?" Crona asked, surprised and somewhat hurt that he had so quickly turned down her idea to help him.

"I don't want to rely on them to get better," Certo answered just as quickly. He was remembering the drastic measures taken to get Crona her medicine when she was sick and was doing everything in his power to avoid the same situation. "I'd rather save them for another time, if the situation really calls for it." Off to the side, Thundra sat with Amp beside her. The two lightning dragons both chuckled to themselves, enjoying the sight of the black dragon's frantic efforts to avoid a possible uncomfortable situation.

"I guess that makes sense," Crona pondered aloud. "Although I don't see the harm in trying to help you recover quicker." She narrowed her eyes at Certo suspiciously, noticing the apprehensive look his face.

"Can we just drop the idea, please?" Certo growled. "I think it might be best for me to simply avoid outside resources to help my own natural recovery."

"Is it me or is Certo trying to sound intelligent there?" Amp whispered to his mother in-law. Thundra hissed for him to be quiet and Certo shot him a glare. Crona glanced at the young dragon then back to Certo, clearly confused about the inside conversation they were having around her.

"Well if you're not going to take your medicine, then you can't whine or complain about not feeling well," Crona scolded, sticking her nose up and puffing her chest out. "If you won't take help from me then you have no right to complain about your ailments."

"Do I ever?" Certo asked raising his scarred brow.

"No, but I'm just covering my points," Crona sneered, shooting the black dragon an almost evil look.

"And now that we have that little bit taken care of," Thundra spoke up, pulling the two back down to earth before they could continue their little squabble. "Would you like to return to your regular sleeping quarters, Certo? I'm sure many of the dragons out here have been longing to return home."

"They don't have to stay on my account," Certo protested. "But I guess I can, if it makes life easier for them."

"Certo," Crona spoke up, stepping in front of him. "If you're not ready to return, we understand. We want you to get better, first and foremost. We can sacrifice another day or so out here to make sure you're well enough to make the trip back."

"It's not that far; I'll be fine."

Crona stared into his blue and crimson eyes. She could see he was being stubborn again; he was always stubborn when others tried to help him. But it was also a trait she had come to expect in him and could not see him being without. "Certo, do you need extra time?"

"No."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes!"

"Positive?"

"Shut up Crona!"

"I'm just asking to make sure..."

"Okay, that's enough from both of you!" Thundra barked, instantly silencing the quarrelsome couple. "Certo, until you're feeling better, you will listen to Crona. Crona, you are not to have a power trip when taking care of Certo. We will head back to the city and if Certo wishes to, he may hitch a ride with one of the other dragons."

"Fair enough," Crona and Certo agreed together, rolling their eyes. The two shot each other a quick glance before turning away, their cheeks slightly flushed.

"Then I shall inform the others that we will be departing as soon as you are ready." Thundra bowed slightly. Certo glanced around at the stacks of supplies. All around the room were piles of medicinal leaves, roots, pans of gathered berries and fruits and the occasional blood-stained cloth. The dragoness noticed and smiled to herself. "We will gather our things before hand, don't worry. For now just rest until we are all packed up."

"Yes ma'am," Certo murmured, looking at the ground. The furnace below had prevented any grass from growing back, but he somehow felt that grass could not grow here anymore.

When Tundra left, Crona saw Certo studying the burned earth beneath him. His jet black scales were covered in dirt and ash, tainting his normally semi-glossy appearance. But it was the black dragon's expression which caused her to sit down beside him and scoot close until her wing brushed his side.

"I know I said it before, but I'm glad you're okay," She whispered, pulling his eyes away from the ground.

"You were worried about me?" Certo knew the answer to his fake question, but was trying once again to play off like he didn't care.

Crona shrugged. "I know what you're thinking. It's a waste of my time to worry about you, but still. I didn't want to lose you just yet."

Certo stared into her baby-blue eyes for a long time, quickly becoming lost in them. Staring back, Crona found it hard to stare into Certo's bicolored eyes. His bad eye looked as fierce and frightening as ever, but his blue eye really seemed to display the emotions he would never verbally reveal to her, let alone anyone else. Little did the white dragoness realize, Certo could see into her own thoughts as well. Her blue eyes seemed to be full of pain. He could see she had lost a lot in her lifetime; being alone for so long, with no one to connect with on more than just a friendly basis. So what did she think of him? Did she think of him as more than just another dragon to talk to? More than another dragon who would just listen to her reasoning and logic? Certo averted his eyes, breaking their stare. "There's no way we could ever connect in such a way," He thought to himself. "She's too different from me. I could never understand her even if I tried."

Crona saw him break their stare and she felt her heart sink. "I wonder what he's thinking," She pondered privately. "Is it about himself? Neros?" The white dragoness had to turn away from him as well. He was so hard to understand because of his intricate nature. He wanted to belong; that much she could tell. But even after all the time they had spent together, fighting, protecting and defending, he was still too afraid to open up to let anyone else in. Not even Sabre who had openly volunteered and thrown herself at his feet, had been able to put a dent in the casing of his hardened heart. The idea of Certo possibly dying frightened Crona, but the thought of him dying alone with no one to care for him only depressed her further.

Off to the side, Amp watched silently, yet with great interest. When the two had begun staring into each other's eyes, he held his breath hoping to see the moment he and Terra had been hoping for. The lightning dragon was almost certain that something would spark between the two of them when footsteps could be heard coming down the corridor. Amp grumbled to himself as Thundra returned with the other healers including several more dragons to help pack up their medicinal supplies. "Almost had them there," he thought to himself as he moved out of the way. He walked out of the field hospital, glancing over at Certo and Crona who remained beside one another.

"It's cold out," Certo shuddered as Crona helped him to walk outside the field hospital. The black dragon was still feeling rather weak and was using the white dragoness as a crutch. The sun was still high in the early afternoon sky but the wind sent a chill running up Certo's spine. All the time he had been inside, it had been warmer than most days, especially when the furnace was burning at full capacity.

"It's been getting colder the past several nights," Amp explained. The young guardian cradled Crona's remaining memoriums close to his chest, shifting uneasily from the prickly spines poking his chest. Crona had drafted him to carry the precious plants while she provided support for the recovering black dragon. "Maybe you've gotten too used to the comfort of that heated room there." He swung his head in the direction of the pit beneath the pavilion.

"Don't worry, I'm sure you'll be happy to get your normal bed back as soon as we get to the library," Crona said.

"I hope so," Certo mumbled as another chill ran up his spine.

"Shall we be off then, young dragons?" Azurite called from the front of the formation. The remaining guards on duty were gathered in a delta pattern behind him while the volunteer dragons spread out to make the wings of the formation.

"We're ready when you are." Certo nodded, trying to stand up straight.

"Don't strain yourself," Crona warned as Azurite called to take flight.

"I'll be fine, stop worrying," Certo growled, almost playfully.

Crona rolled her eyes as they started forward, gaining speed to leap into the air. "Suit yourself, tough guy." She sprang into the air, getting a warm gust from Certo's wind element beneath her. The white dragoness quickly ascended before turning to see if Certo was following closely. When she looked down she could see the black dragon hobbling clumsily along behind, trying to summon enough strength for a takeoff. "I'll be right back," She called to Amp, who paused to see what was going on. Several of the dragons to the rear stopped and looked back to see what was going on as Crona dove back to the ground. "Having trouble there?" She asked snobbishly. Certo glared at her and was about to say something when Crona moved next to him, forcing herself under his chest so that she could get underneath his belly.

High above, Amp's eyes grew wide and he felt his cheeks blush at the sight of Crona pushing Certo on top of her. Once the dragoness was certain she had him stable on her back she smiled back at him. "Don't fall," she snickered and Certo's eyes widened.

"You can't be serious!"

"Oh I'm very serious. Now help me get some air under me." Crona extended her wings, wobbling slightly as she tried to balance the black dragon on her back. Certo sighed, and closed his eyes. The wind beneath them began to pick up speed and Crona closed her eyes to concentrate on helping Certo's magic element. The two dragons slowly lifted off the ground several feet before Crona dared to beat her wings. Amp and the remaining spectators waited for Crona to catch up before turning back to their original course. Several of the sentries snickered to themselves, seeing the black dragon being carried along by the smaller dragoness.

Certo held his eyes shut, trying to concentrate on keeping the wind beneath them should Crona's smaller body give out and plummet to the ground far below. He held his front paws around her chest, draping his neck over her shoulder, being conscious of her wings. He could feel her soft scales brushing against his neck with each flap of her wings. This was the first time he had noticed how soft her skin was despite their many instances before where they had been in contact with one another. But those had all been slight, or the situation had not called for any recognition of it.

A sudden cough from the white dragoness brought Certo's thoughts back to reality. "Certo, you're choking me!" Crona gagged. The black dragon's front limbs had unknowingly climbed from Crona's chest to the pit of her neck, preventing her from breathing properly while in flight.

"I'm sorry!" Certo gasped, suddenly squirming away.

"Certo!" Crona shouted, as the black dragon fell off her back. She and several other dragons turned to see him somersault backwards before spreading his wings and banking back up towards the formation. The white dragoness breathed a sigh of relief before glaring at her friend. "Don't scare me like that!"

"I didn't try to. I just didn't want to..."

"Never mind." Crona raised a paw, silencing him. "It was an accident, nothing serious happened. Let's just move along. Shall we?"

Certo paused. He had been expecting another of Crona's short, sharp lectures; but this quick apology and understanding of the situation was far from what he had expected from her. Crona slowed her pace until she was beside him, brushing his side with her wing tip, letting him know she was being sincere. Certo bobbed his head and turned his attention to the front of the formation. Crona sighed to herself, surprised that she had not decided to lecture him as well.

As they flew the rest of the way home, she began to think about the black dragon's forelimbs around her chest. His soft belly scales on her back were smooth and surprisingly warm. The feel of him hugging her close almost made her desire for more. Crona gave a small hiccup and shook those thoughts out of her head. "Stop thinking of yourself Crona," She whispered privately. "Certo's the one who you need to help now, not yourself." Another silent pause made her think even more. "Wait, why am I concerning myself with him? I mean in... that sort of way? Neither of us would be caught dead in that situation. Ugh, I need to get some rest." Crona beat her wings harder, pulling ahead of Certo, leaving him to stare curiously at her hindquarters.

"What's her problem all of a sudden?" He mumbled.

By the time they reached the city wall, Certo was becoming severely winded. Crona, Amp and two sentries broke off from the rest of the formation to escort the black dragon to the library. As Certo descended to the ground the sentries wished him farewell, leaving the young dragons to their own devices. Crona reached the ground first and waited for Certo to land beside her. The black dragon saw what she was trying to do and glided past her. Crona watched as he came to a shaky halt in front of the library's main entrance. His legs nearly buckled but he forced himself to stand upright in front of her and Amp. Crona only shook her head and sighed to herself. As she stared at the black dragon she saw a head poke around the side of the building behind him.

"Amp, would you take Certo inside?" Crona asked politely. "I need to check on something real quick."

"I can show myself in," Certo growled, not amused at being treated like a hatchling. He pushed past her and disappeared inside. Amp watched him go before turning to see Crona roll her eyes. The lightning guardian shrugged and followed the older male inside.

When they were gone, Crona turned to walk around the bend of the building to see Sabre standing there, looking rather nervous.

"If you want to say hi, you can," Crona grumbled. She would be lying if she had told the ice dragoness she was not mad at her any more. Sabre seemed to detect the faint hostility lingering in her voice and tucked her wings closer to her sides.

"I... I don't know if I should," Sabre mumbled. "He may not want to talk to me ever again. Not after what I did."

"He doesn't know," Crona said plainly. Sabre's eyes nearly popped out her head. Crona seemed to read into her expression and continued her explanation. "I'm not going to tell him. Not now, not ever."

"B-but why not?" Sabre protested. "I think he deserves to know. Don't you?"

Crona nodded. "He does deserve to know. And believe me, I still think he should. But it's also my belief that he doesn't deserve to suffer any more than he has already."

"What do you mean?" Sabre cocked her head sideways, trying to understand what the white dragoness was getting at.

"You know by now that Certo and Neros are brothers right? Twins for that matter." Sabre bobbed her head. "Certo told me that he and Neros used to be closer than he and I are now. The two of them looked out for each other like family should. But the rest of Certo's family felt Neros was unfit to be one of them because of his disabilities. Certo did everything in his power to include his brother when others would not give him a second glance. Neros eventually turned on Certo, killing his entire family and nearly succeeding in murdering Certo as well. That's when we found him."

"At the Silver River," Sabre murmured, remembering when she first heard about the rumors of the black dragon.

"Yes," Crona nodded. "That was when Neros betrayed his own family. And most of all, the brother who loved him more than anything in the world. Certo's been alone ever since and he's just now barely starting to pick up the pieces of his shattered world to try and rebuild it. If he were to find out that someone he fought hard and nearly died to protect was the cause of all of it, I cannot fathom what he might do, or what may happen to him." Crona locked her eyes with Sabre's and stared hard at her. "I don't want to be the one left to pick up those pieces."

Sabre was silent for a long, tense moment as she thought over the dragoness's words. Crona waited patiently for the younger dragoness to speak. She was almost certain Sabre would have nothing to say, so she was surprised when the ice dragoness spoke as she turned to leave. "I still do love him," Sabre murmured. "But I do want Certo to be happy." She raised her eyes to Crona who could see them glossing over with tears. "And I would rather see the dragon I love happy with another girl than be unhappy with me any day." Sabre could not hold her tears back anymore.

Crona could not ignore the dragoness's sobs as she felt a pang of guilt stab her in the heart. She did not care about love, or relationships, or special bonds that linked the couples of the world together; it had never been in her interest. But seeing Sabre bawling before her made her feel somewhat dirty inside, as if she had been the cause for all the dragoness's misery over the last months.

"I'm sorry," Crona whispered, bumping her muzzle against Sabre's forehead. The blue dragoness looked up at her as the tears froze around her eyelids.

"Crona, I know I have no right to ask, but would you do me a favor?" Crona was silent as she listened patiently. Sabre wiped the frozen tears from around her eyes and stood as tall as she could to look the older dragoness in the eyes. "Take care of Certo for me, please. I don't care if you love him or not. I just want him to be happy."

Crona was shocked by the suddenness of the dragoness's request. This was possibly the first non-selfish request Sabre had come up with since Crona had known her. After a moment of hesitation, the white dragoness nodded. "I will. Because I want him to be happy too."

Sabre wiped her nose with the back of her forelimb and smiled. "Thank you. I think I had best be going now." The blue dragoness turned and began walking away but stopped after a couple steps. "And Crona?"

"Yes?"

Sabre's cheeks flushed as she thought about her next words. "If you ever get a chance... to get a real kiss... take it. I would like to know what it feels like."

Crona gave a startled squeak as her joints locked up and her face burned hot pink. Sabre could not help but giggle playfully at the white dragoness's expression. "See you around, Crona." Sabre's voice cracked but she still managed to force a smile before walking away.

Crona stood dumbstruck for several minutes as she thought about what the young dragoness had said. What in the world made her think that she would even do such a thing, and with Certo of all dragons? No way would she ever attempt such an act; or allow it to be attempted on her. She did not want a mate, or a boyfriend or a significant other in any way shape or form. "And that's the way I intend to keep it," She thought to herself walking back inside.

"It's good to have you back, young Certo," Verona chirped, as she came out to meet the black dragon and the lightning guardian. "You had us quite worried for a while."

"I'm sorry," muttered Certo, glancing away shamefully. His eyes met Crona's as she entered the library and stopped next to him. "I really don't remember much about what happened."

"That doesn't matter right now," Verona replied, nuzzling the black dragon's cheek with her snout. "What matters is that you're safe and alive."

"For the time being," Crona pondered privately.

Verona glanced at Amp as Stratus appeared at the top of the stairs leading to the second level of the library. "Master Ampus. How good of you to come by."

"Hello Master Stratus," Amp bowed respectfully as the librarian joined the small gathering. "Good to see you're well."

"As much as can be expected of a dragon my age." The elder chuckled before turning to Certo. "May we get you youngsters anything?"

Certo glanced at his two friends. Amp shook his head but Crona only continued to stare at him, waiting to see what he would do. "I think we're okay for now, thank you."

"Very well then," Stratus nodded courteously. He glanced at the dish with the remaining memoriums before smiling at Crona. "I see you fond a use for these?"

"I did." The dragoness nodded, a subtle smile tugging at her cheek. Certo shot a look at her and his muscles tightened.

Stratus gathered the dish up with a satisfied expression on his face. "Very good then. Thank you for keeping your promise. If you need anything while you recover, don't hesitate to ask."

"Thank you." Crona, Amp and Certo said together, quickly jolting to stare at one another. The librarians laughed and turned to continue about their business.

"Let's get you to bed," Crona suggested. "I know it's still early, but you must be exhausted."

"Maybe just a little," Certo sighed. It was not until she had spoken about it that he had noticed how fatigued he was. He headed towards the back room with Amp and Crona following close in case he stumbled, which he didn't.

"It's really dark in here," Amp pointed out as the white dragoness got her friend situated on their soft bed. Certo gave a slight growl, content to have the soft cushions to lie on rather than the hard ground. Back at the field hospital it had been much warmer. But comfort was the black dragon's main concern at the moment; warmth would come when Crona bedded down with him. She had always seemed pleasantly warm whenever they slept together.

Crona looked about the room as well. It definitely seemed to be much dimmer than usual. So much that the only light came from the adjacent chamber casting a single stream of light across the floor in front of the cushions. "You know, you're right." The white dragoness tapped her chin as she thought about the guardian's observation. "I wonder why it's..." She looked at the lantern beside the doorway to see the flame inside had been blown out. "The lantern is out."

"Oh that's why," Amp almost laughed. "A draft must have come through and snuffed them out."

"But there's at least five others in this room," Crona observed. "How could all of them get blown out at once?" She glanced about the darkness, trying to see the other lanterns that had hung about the chamber. When her eyes fell upon Certo, she felt a presence draw her stare upward. From out of the darkness rose a thick, boney tail club. At the peak of its ascension, Crona's eyes widened as she realized what was about to happen. "Certo, behind you!" She shouted as the club swung full force on top of his head.

Cytros groaned in pain as he rose to his feet. Certo's brother had left him with a large third-degree burn in the center of his chest, charring his skin and melting away much of the protective callus that made up most of his chest scales. When the bolt of convexity had hit him he had been rendered nearly unconscious on impact. As the captain stared at himself in his mirror, he sighed sadly to himself. He remembered seeing the brawl between Certo and his brother escalate out of control to the point where nearly everyone on site had been obliterated.

"Had it not been for Crona, we all would have been," The orange dragon mumbled. Indeed, the young female had proven to possess a very unique power which none of them had never seen before. The fire-breather was certain that the surviving dragons wished to question the nature of this gift Crona had of using their own breath elements to protect them. But the captain had ordered all witnesses to discard any such thoughts unless the dragoness wished to reveal such information herself. It was the least he could do for her having saved his life and theirs.

Cytros closed his eyes as he thought back to the horrific incident as he lay on the ground, bleeding and severely wounded, powerless to retaliate against Volcanus and his false declarations. Seeing the young white dragoness standing before them all in the face of certain annihilation was awe-inspiring, but at the same moment terrifying. The thought of his daughter attempting the same feat sent an uneasy chill up the fire guard's spine, causing him to cough hard, clutching at his chest. Cytros collapsed onto his hind legs, struggling to breathe.

The harsh noise alerted Vixen in the opposite room, and she came running. Seeing her father in such a state frightened the young dragoness, but she bit her lip and moved close to her father's side. "Daddy, you should be resting. You shouldn't be up right now. The healers say you have to rest until your wound gets better."

Cytros coughed and laughed. Seeing his little girl trying to act like an adult amused him, making him even prouder to be her father. "I'm fine pumpkin. Don't you worry. Just post stress."

Vixen gave a soft whimper and moseyed on over to her father, rubbing up against his leg. Cytros immediately felt his heart sink as he watched her rest her head against his muscular forelimb. She was a good girl, despite her sometimes stubborn and overly zealous personality. Cytros inspected his slow-healing wound again. If the sudden attack had killed him, his little girl would have become an orphan; just like Sabre, just like Certo. The idea of suddenly leaving his little girl without a father struck the fire-breather with a bolt of fear. It had been hard on both of them when her mother had passed away before giving birth to their second child. She had become egg-bound during gestation and had eventually succumbed to its stresses. The healers had been powerless to do anything more than offer extreme dietary changes. But in the end they were not enough.

A single tear fell from Cytros's eye and splashed onto his daughter's head. The warm liquid caused Vixen to squeak in surprise then look up at her father's mournful expression.

"Daddy?" She whimpered, her voice cracking as she felt tears coming to her eyes as well. She knew that if her father ever wept, it was because of her mother's memory.

Without a word, Cytros leaned down and licked his daughter's cheek, not restraining himself to glossing her cheek with saliva. Vixen could no longer hold back her tears and burst out crying, hugging her father's snout in her paws.

"I love you my dear daughter," Cytros whispered as she held him close. "Don't ever forget that."

"I won't," Vixen sobbed. "I don't want you leaving me! Not now, not ever!"

Cytros stared at his little girl for a long time. She was far too young to understand the meaning of death in the real world. To the youth of this city, dying was just a make-believe entity. Only dragons his age or older truly knew the reality of death; Certo and Sabre being rare exceptions. However, the fire guard had a feeling there would be far less of these rare occurrences in the future. He had never known battle, war or worry until Certo had arrived in their city. In a way, the black dragon was an eye-opener for the city dragons to the world beyond their borders. "If only it didn't have to involve so much loss and sacrifice." Cytros thought to himself. "On either of our parts."

The fire guard rose to his full height and looked down at his daughter. "Vixen, I think it's time I gave you something." The fire dragoness looked up at her father through her tears with a confused look on her face. Cytros, seeing that he had her attention, hobbled over to a dusty corner of the room where several old books, scrolls and armor plates rested, untouched for months on end. After noisily shoving the discarded items out of the way, he pulled out what he was looking for. Vixen watched as her father lifted out a large chest with dust covering the elaborate designs on its red-stained wood and gold plates. Cytros set it down before her with a faint smile. "Go on," he coaxed.

Vixen stared at the box for a moment before reaching out to press a paw against the lock. There was a loud click, and Cytros lifted the lid off so Vixen could gaze upon the treasure inside. The dragoness's eyes grew wide and her jaw fell open. Inside, resting on a velvet cushion was gold pendent. From the pendent dangled a charm in the shape of a heart with a ruby-like crystal embedded into the metal itself. Vixen looked up at her father, waiting to hear an explanation.

"This was something your mother and I were going to give you when you were older and nearing your adolescent years," The fire dragon explained. He lifted the piece of jewelry delicately between his claws and held it for her to inspect closer. "We had the size approximated just after you were born."

"I... I don't understand," Vixen squeaked, reaching out with a paw to feel the untouched metal against the bottoms of her paws. "Why are you giving this to me now?"

"Because," Cytros leaned down towards her and looked her in the eye. "If I had died out there, I would never have been able to see you in this for myself. I wish every day that your mother could be here to see you, but the reality is now, that I may not be around forever as both of us would like." The captain sat back on his haunches and sighed. "Vixen, you're my only offspring, and I love you dearly. I want you to promise me, as of this moment that you will grow to become the finest dragoness you can make yourself. "

Vixen nodded without hesitation. "I will Daddy."

Cytros smiled and pat her on the head. "That's my girl." Vixen cooed softly at her father's warm touch and extended her neck out. Getting the hint that she wished to wear her gift right way, Cytros fumbled with the lock on the back of the pendant. After a moment of tinkering away at it, he finally managed to unhook the lock. "You may wish to find someone to help you with that from time to time." He chuckled as he clipped it around her neck. Once it was on, Vixen turned to inspect herself in the mirror at herself, and turned around several times to get a good look at the jewelry. "The jewel is a sacred crystal to us dragons," Cytros explained. "It's a gift from our ancestors, a rarity to come by in such a form."

"I love it, Daddy." Vixen turned to smile at him, wiping the tears from her eyes. "I love you," She murmured, hugging his forelimb again.

"I love you too sweetheart," Cytros whispered, holding her close.

The room fell silent except for the steady breathing of father and daughter. In all the months of uneasy tension within the city, both Vixen and her father had never felt more at peace than they did at this moment. The captain did not notice, but his daughter's form emanated a faint golden glow as she hugged him close. He did however, feel the pain and throbbing in his chest diminish and a newfound energy overtook him.

As the fire-guard relished in the tranquility of their home he found himself gazing in awe at his little girl. She was nearly the spitting image of her mother with the only exception of her skin color. Cytros sighed contently. "I hope she finds someone who is right for her one day." His thoughts drifted to the black dragon and how he had first learned how much his daughter had been hanging around him. "Perhaps a male of Certo's character, but without the persistent stubbornness," he chuckled privately.

All of a sudden the peace and quiet was shattered by an earth-shaking explosion. Vixen's eyes snapped open when she felt their pavilion shake. "Daddy!" She screamed, latching tighter onto her father's leg.

"I know," Cytros answered, holding her close. The rumble of the explosion thundered across the city. Cytros leaned down to grab his little girl by the tail and hoist her onto his back between his shoulder blades. Vixen hunkered down against her father's spine as he limped through their home until he reached the nearest balcony. Up the hill, a plume of smoke billowed up from the library. Both fire-breathers eyes widened.

"Certo," Cytros gasped.

"Daddy! Sabre's up there!" Vixen exclaimed. "She was going to see if Certo was back but she hasn't returned yet! She could be in danger!"

"Vixen, I want you to stay here," Cytros ordered. "I'm going to look for Sabre, and rally the guards."

"But I don't want to lose you!" Vixen whined, the fear weighing heavy in her voice.

"I'll be right back," Cytros assured her, grabbing her in his jaws from off his back. "I promise."

Vixen looked up with sad eyes at her father. "Please hurry."

"I will." Cytros leaned down to kiss her on the cheek. With a loud grunt, the captain leaped over the railing of his balcony and beat his wings towards the library, hoping that he was not too late to help.

A wave of pain overwhelmed Certo as Crona tackled him to the floor. The white dragoness had barely managed to knock him out of harm's way with her active power, as the boney club smashed into the floor. Certo howled as the pain swept through him. Crona pulled her attention away to see the clubbed tail swing at the two of them with full force. The dragoness squeaked, raising a paw and halting time. The club stopped inches from them, and Crona breathed an exasperated sigh. She touched Certo with her tail, allowing him to move with her.

"Get out of the way!" She ordered. "And stay in contact with me!"

Certo didn't argue. He extended his wing, holding the dragoness's tail spade on his leathery membrane as she moved out of the club's range. Crona sat down and closed her eyes, trying to gather herself as quickly as possible.

"What are you doing?" Certo demanded.

"Shush!" Crona hissed as she held up a paw. She concentrated on the blue mist in the room, gathering the element of her choice. Amp, being so close, provided enough electric energy for Crona to unleash several small orbs of lightning to illuminate the room. Both dragons' jaws dropped as they recognized their attacker. "Tectonica!" Crona gasped in horror. She could hardly believe that the former earth guardian was making an attempt on Certo's life, in broad daylight of all times.

A low growl rumbled in Certo's throat as he glared at the frozen earth dragoness. Tectonica wore a savage snarl on her muzzle as she aimed to crush both him and Crona in one decisive blow. Even he had not expected this kind of action from her; especially since she had her broken leg tucked and splinted to her chest in adobe. "We have to fight back!"

"You're not fighting anyone!" Crona shook her head. "You are in no shape to fight anyone, so stay as far away from her as you can!"

"But Crona...!"

"I mean it Certo!" The white dragoness snapped. "Leave this to me and Amp! You go get Stratus!"

"But..."

"Listen, I have to let go soon!" Crona exclaimed, turning her head to face him directly. "Just do as I say alright?"

Before Certo could protest, time resumed its course. Tectonica's tail club slammed into the wall, shattering the stone. Light from the outer room poured in, allowing the young dragons to get a better look at their surprised enemy. Tectonica whirled around with an angry growl and fixed her green eyes on Certo, who stood beside Crona. Her pupils had narrowed to ferocious slits, giving away her intent to kill the black dragon.

Amp stood baffled at what he was seeing. Never before had he seen any guardian lash out at another weaker dragon for any reason.

"Certo, make a run for it!" Crona shouted, shoving him towards the doorway. Certo staggered backwards and turned to flee. Tectonica slammed a massive paw into the floor, shooting a pillar up in front of the doorway, blocking Certo's escape. The black dragon hit the pillar of stone and turned towards the hole Tectonica had blown through the wall.

Seeing the black dragon's intention, the former guardian stepped in front of his path, cutting him off before he could even make an attempt to escape.

"Tectonica, stop what you're doing!" Amp fumed.

"Silence!" The dragoness hissed, striking the floor again, hitting Amp in the chest with a slab of stone. The lightning dragon wailed as he hit the back wall, shattering a bookshelf on impact. Dozens of books fell on top of the young guardian, nearly knocking him unconscious in the process.

"Amp!" Crona lurched towards him and began digging him out of the pile of books.

Tectonica took her chance to lash out at the air dragon again. She inhaled deeply, and roared, firing an earth bullet at Certo. The black dragon was quick to react, unleashing his own breath attack in return; the green energy blast easily overwhelmed the gust of air. Certo barely managed to dive out of the way as the energy attack exploded against the stone floor where he had stood a split second before. Crona shielded herself and Amp with her wing as broken stone and splinters peppered her sides.

As Certo raised his head, he exhaled again, as hard as he could, trying to blow Tectonica off her feet. But the intense wind only managed to stir up the dust, rocks and papers scattered about the demolished chamber. Crona and Amp began coughing hard as they gasped for oxygen.

Certo felt another swing just miss him as he hopped backwards. Tectonica did not need to be able to see him in order to hit him; she was feeling him out with each step he took to avoid her strikes. In his weakened state, Certo was no match for the former earth guardian. The green dragoness made a lunge for Certo as he tried to regain his wind. The black dragon ducked as her long talons narrowly missed tearing him apart. Tectonica swung again as Certo skittered under her belly. The dragoness turned wildly, trying to get at the young dragon taking advantage of her blind spot. At last she gave up trying to turn and catch him. Certo jumped out of the way as Tectonica dropped her belly onto the floor. If he had been under her, he would have been crushed for sure.

Certo snarled and clumsily clawed his way onto her back, digging his claws in as deep as he could. Tectonica howled furiously and tried to shake him off. Certo bit down on the hard muscles around her wings and held on tight. When Tectonica's feet left the floor, Certo disengaged from her shoulder as she slammed her back into the ceiling, causing the stone to crack.

Amp managed to pull his hind legs out of the pile of books and lurch forward towards Tectonica's throat. The earth dragoness swung her massive head around, knocking him through the wall. Amp's scream left a shrill ring in Certo and Crona's ears.

"Amp!" Certo shouted, turning his attention from the raging earth dragoness.

"Certo, duck!" The black dragon turned to see Tectonica's talons rushing straight for him. Crona slowed time and tackled Certo just as Tectonica's claws nearly took his life. The earth dragoness hissed and swung back, catching Crona off guard. The white dragoness bounced across the floor, cutting herself on the sharp chunks of wood and stone. This time, Tectonica whirled on her, bringing her claws down to flatten Crona beneath her weight. The young dragoness flinched, halting time completely. When she opened her eyes, Tectonica was only inches away from her. Certo was across the room, with a look of terror frozen on his face as he watched the earth dragoness go after her. Crona moved out of the way and released her hold on time, allowing Tectonica's heavy foot to smash into the floor.

The earth dragoness looked surprised as she stared at Crona, and the hole she had just made in the floor where the dragoness should have been. The earth dragoness swung at Crona, missing again when she was certain she would have hit her. With each swing, Crona dodged in the blink of an eye, infuriating Tectonica even more.

Behind them, Certo charged when he saw Crona dodge Tectonica's third swipe. He leaped into the air, ignoring the pain in his chest, with his claws outstretched. Tectonica glanced back over her shoulder and kicked one of her powerful hind legs, her foot striking Certo square in the chest. Certo felt the wind rush out of him as he flew backwards, hitting the hard marble floor. Crona's eyes grew wide when she saw the blood begin to flow from Certo's mouth as he coughed hard, trying to breathe.

Certo tried to get up but his world was spinning out of control. His legs buckled and he fell back to the ground. As he felt his head roll back he coughed hard, expelling a spray of blood into the air when a sonic roar shook the library.

"What is all the noise down here?" Verona's voice called angrily from outside.

Every head turned towards the hole in the wall. "Help us!" Crona shouted desperately.

Tectonica whirled on Crona, swinging her thick, muscular tail. The dragoness barely had time to lurch forward, away from the heavy club. Tectonica's tail still managed to knock the white dragoness across the room, sending her slamming into a marble pillar. Crona crumbled to the ground as she struggled to regain her lost breath. Her vision was becoming blurred and she squeezed her eyes tightly shut, trying to overcome the intense vertigo. She could feel Tectonica coming towards her, preparing to finish her off. In her mind's eye she could see the pulsing green energy amongst the disrupted blue mist. Tectonica was preparing to unleash a massive earth missile to end her life.

All of a sudden Tectonica stopped and a hot gust blew through the chamber and the mist was blown away by a surge of crimson. The figure that was Certo was radiating with furious energy as the earth dragoness turned to face him. Crona felt her heart skip a beat as she opened her eyes wide. The room was shrouded in a blood-red light as Certo summoned his super-element to the surface, causing his red eye to burn alongside his body scars.

"So the demon side of you has decided to come out," Tectonica sneered, green energy licking at her edges of her maw.

"Don't ever hurt my friends!" Certo growled, his voice warping from the furious energy.

"Certo, no!" Crona screamed, hurling herself across the room. Certo reared his head back as a fierce glow came from the back of his throat. Tectonica roared and fired her earth missile at near point-blank range. Time stopped just before Certo was able to release the burst of energy, and Crona tackled him to the ground. Certo's energy shot past Tectonica's head and burned through the library's ceilings, blowing a hole in the rooftop. Tectonica's earth missile blew out the remaining wall, showering Verona, who stood over a wounded Amp, with debris. The librarian cried out in fright, shielding herself and the young guardian with her wings.

"Verona!" Stratus shouted as he emerged from the secret passage, hearing the loud, consecutive explosions. Tectonica emerged from the remains of the back chamber to see Crona on top of Certo, both looking back at her with gaping expressions. The green dragoness hissed and fired an earth bullet at the second level of the library, bringing tons of rubble down on top of the two young dragons.

"Certo! Crona!" Verona screamed, peeking out from behind her wings.

"At last," Tectonica snarled to herself before spreading her wings. She gave a triumphant roar and leaped into the air, beating her wings hard before shooting through the smoldering, open hole in the roof.

Stratus rushed over to the pile of rubble, tossing stone, wood and books aside, not caring where any of it landed, or that the documents were being torn by his efforts.

"What's going on?!" A dragon sentry suddenly appeared in the doorway to the library's main entrance, his armor glistening in the late afternoon sun.

"Gather the healers!" Verona shouted frantically. "There's been another attack!" The guard jolted from the fierceness in the ice dragoness's voice but turned and disappeared from view.

Stratus continued to tear through the rubble, fearing the worst had happened to the two young dragons.

"Certo?" A frightened voice grabbed Verona's attention as Sabre appeared.

"Dear, you shouldn't be here right now." Verona scolded. "Get Captain Cytros, and tell him there's been an attack."

Sabre's eyes widened in horror when she saw Stratus tearing away at the pile of rocks and broken beams that had once supported the upper levels of the library. "Certo! Where is he?"

Before Verona could speak, Stratus let out a relieved sigh. The glow of light emanated from under the rocks and debris, putting his fears to rest. He quickly shoved the remaining rubble out of the way, revealing the two young dragons beneath. Crona lay on top of Certo, huddled close to his chest. Both dragons had their eyes squeezed tightly shut as they expected to be crushed at any moment. The only thing preventing them from being smashed beneath the tons of debris was the barrier of magic energy surrounding them. When Crona opened her eyes, they were glowing white. Certo opened his eyes and stared into hers for a long moment, stunned and shocked at what he was seeing.

"Thank the ancestors you two are alright," Stratus sighed as Crona's shield faded away to rejoin the flow of magic around them.

After he recovered from the initial shock, Certo glared at Crona. "What the hell was that for, Crona! I had a clear shot at..." A heavy paw struck him across the face. Crona's talons left the black dragon with three, long, bloody streaks across his cheek. Certo immediately fell silent as did Stratus, Verona and Sabre. It was then that Certo noticed the tears streaming from Crona's eyes.

"You idiot! Don't ever use that power again!" Crona sobbed as her glowing eyes returned to normal.

Certo was so shaken by her actions he could barely speak. "Wh-what? What are you..."

"I saw what you losing your temper nearly did to you!" Crona wept, her tears plopping onto Certo's cheeks, stinging the fresh cuts on his face. "I won't lose you like that again! I don't want to lose another friend because of the hatred of others!"

"Crona..."

"Certo listen to me!" Crona pleaded, her voice echoing in the great chamber. "Don't ever use that power! Ever! Never again! Do you understand? Never for any reason! Not even if it's to protect anyone!" Certo lay still and silent, unable to comprehend any meaning behind the dragoness's words.

By now, more guards were showing up, including a wounded Cytros. The captain urged Sabre to the side as Verona ushered him over to look over Amp. The young lightning guardian had a large bleeding hole in his side from where one of Tectonica's horns had stabbed him. Blood stained the floor as the yellow dragon tried to breathe properly. Verona breathed onto the open wound, freezing a thin cast over it with her ice breath. Amp whimpered but did nothing more beyond that.

"Crona, I... I can't...."

"Damn you Certo, listen to me!" Crona screamed, her voice catching the attention of the other dragons. "Don't use it anymore! I'm begging you! If you are any sort of friend! If you have any shred of compassion locked away inside your heart! I beg of you to listen to me, and don't use it!"

Certo could not bring himself to say anything. As Crona stared down at him she was almost certain he would reply with an answer that would go against her greatest fear of the moment.

"Come on you two," Stratus interrupted, leaning towards them. "We have to move you both out of here. It's not safe."

Crona stepped off of Certo and turned towards the front entrance as Thundra and the other healers began showing up. The lightning dragoness gave a horrified cry when she saw the state of her son in-law lying in a puddle of blood on the floor. Certo could only hang his head shamefully as he limped past the other dragons to stand beside Crona. He felt sick inside, partly because he did not want to comply with Crona's desperate plea, and secondly because of the initial shock of nearly being killed again after barely recovering. All he could think about was what the white dragoness had just done, leaving him feeling empty inside.

"I don't like this idea one bit," Mateo whispered as he trailed along behind Titanus.

"Well go home then," Frisco hissed, trying to keep his voice down as well. "I don't like it either, but I'm not being a big baby about it."

"I'm not being a baby, you dunce," Mateo snapped back. "I'm being cautious! We don't know this area at all. And those apes could be hiding anywhere."

"Both of you need to stop your wussy whining," Titanus grumbled, glancing over his shoulder. "If you didn't want to be here then you should have stayed back at home with the other sissy dragons."

"Yeah," Frisco nodded. "And get blown to kingdom come by Certo. That would have been much better than this."

A heavy tail struck the young fire dragon across the face, knocking him into a tree trunk. The blow stunned Frisco as he slumped to the ground. Titanus slammed a heavy paw on top of his goon, causing Frisco to cough hard as he felt the wind rush out of his body.

"If you say that dragon's name one more time around me, I will not hesitate to kill you," Titanus growled. "Do you understand me?"

"I... I didn't mean to..." Frisco wheezed, but Titanus pressed more of his weight onto the young male, causing him to cry out in pain.

This brought Titanus's temper to the surface and he slapped another heavy paw over Frisco's face, trying to silence the sound. "Be quiet, you idiot!"

"Titanus, you're smothering him!" Stagnite exclaimed. The earth dragon rushed over to try and pull the gang leader off of his friend. Titanus turned on him as well, grabbing him behind the neck in his jaws and tossing him into another tree.

"You fools need to shut up and listen to me right this instant!" Titanus snarled menacingly.

"Oh you don't have to worry about them giving you all away. We've been well aware of you following us from the start." Every head turned to see a pale white dragon emerge from the forest underbrush, followed by dozens of armored apes. Titanus's gang all felt a chill run up their spines when they saw the albino dragon's blood-red eyes staring them down. The albino black dragon was covered in cuts, scrapes and bruises from the skirmish just days before, but did not seemed slightly phased by the throbbing injuries.

Off to the side, Stagnite struggled to get to his feet. Blood flowed from the deep wounds left by Titanus's knife-like teeth. When the earth dragon looked up, he found himself staring at the albino dragon with eyes that would make the dead turn in their graves. All of a sudden a hand grabbed his tail from behind, yanking him into the dense underbrush.

"Stagnite!" Mateo shouted when he heard his friend's startled cry.

Stagnite managed to turn around in time to see a slobbering ape raise its dagger and bring it down into his side. The green dragon hollered in pain and tried to claw his way back to the safety of his gang. "Help me! He cried as another ape moved in to tear at his forelimb. The muscled beast dug in its long, dirty claws and ripped away at the earth dragon's skin, exposing bare bone.

Mateo and the other gang members could only huddle together in fright as they listened to the sounds of their friend being butchered alive by the savages. After a minute, which seemed to last an hour, the screams stopped. The apes emerged from the underbrush, dragging the dead dragon's carcass along behind them; their fur was stained and matted with Stagnite's blood. The dragon was barely recognizable with his dislocated and broken limbs flopping limply on the ground.

Titanus's gang turned and several of them wretched at the smell of their own friend's blood and freshly exposed entrails. Titanus stepped off of Frisco, allowing the fire dragon to wheeze heavily as he got his wind back. Mateo broke away to help his friend gather with the remaining seven members of the group.

The blue fire-breather approached Neros and several of the apes barked, stepping forward with their spears, ready to defend their master. Neros only raised a wing, ordering them to stand down. The apes stepped back but kept their eyes locked on Titanus.

"So you've been aware of us this whole time huh?" He spoke with an amused chuckle, completely ignoring the fact that one of his own group members had just been slaughtered before him. "If you knew, then how come you didn't show yourself sooner?"

A grin spread across Neros's mouth. "The answer is simple really." He sat on his haunches and thrust his head to the side, signaling the apes to surround the procession of dragons. Mateo and the others wall watched warily, expecting the savages to lunge at them at any moment. "The idea is to get you away from any sort of security you may have in your territory and bring you to ours."

"Ah," Titanus bobbed his head, pretending to be impressed. "Trying to keep us from escaping is that it?"

"You're within range of that idea," Neros nodded. "You see, this would make you the third dragon that has sought me out other than my brother, who it sounds like you know personally." He gave a subtle snicker, when he sensed the blue dragon's bulky muscles tense. "Each dragon that has come to me has provided me with something useful, despite my extreme disgust for us as a species. Now I'm curious, what do you have that can be of use to me?"

Titanus straightened up and rolled his muscular shoulders. "I was thinking that you and I could work together."

This statement caught Neros off guard, and his brows jumped. "Oh? What makes you think that?"

"The fact that you want your brother dead. I want him dead as well." Titanus leaned down until his snout was level with Neros's. "But, I know you want to kill him more, so I was thinking we could...exchange services."

Neros was becoming genuinely curious about this blue dragon's intentions. He flicked his tail once, before allowing it to coil around his feet. The apes stood at attention as directed but kept their beady eyes fixed on the stray dragons. "What 'service' were you hoping to exchange?" Neros asked, narrowing his eyes at Titanus. "Out of curiosity, mind you."

Titanus, seeing that he had the young air dragon's attention, sat down as well. "You see, there's a certain dragoness who hangs around with Certo." Immediately, Neros's expression turned sour. "She has avoided me every time I've gone to court her and she's bent on staying by that black feral's side. I want him dead so I can have her for myself."

Neros was silent for a moment. Then he burst out laughing, startling everyone around him. Titanus wore a confused look on his face as the albino tried to catch his breath. "I'm sorry," Neros sighed. "But I won't be helping you get Crona for your own sexual desires. I have my own uses for her."

"You?" Titanus's eyes widened in surprise. "What do you know about Crona? How? What could you possibly want with her?"

Neros's wicked grin returned. He loved how clueless these city-dwelling dragons were. "How about we just leave it at the fact that my needs heavily outweigh yours when it comes to her."

"No!" Titanus snarled, slamming a paw into the ground, sending up a spout of blue sparks. "I want to know right this instant why you want her for yourself!"

"That's private business," Neros replied. "Besides, she wouldn't choose a weakling like you even if you were the last dragon alive." Titanus stiffened at this and curled his lip. Neros chuckled. "I guess you've heard that before from my brother. No?"

"Shut up!" Titanus lunged for Neros and swung a heavy paw. The albino ducked and spun, slapping the blue dragon's paw with his tail. The added force caused Titanus to lose his balance and hit the ground hard. Neros laughed as he watched the fire breather shake his head, trying to rid himself of the spots of flashing light before him. Titanus roared and released a blue wave of fire. The apes scattered, but Neros stayed where he was. Titanus, expecting him to blow his flames back at him, poured on the extra energy, incinerating the trees beyond. The apes watched as the forest became ablaze. The blue fire breather was far more ferocious than any dragon they had come across before.

When Titanus's thunderous roar died away, he gasped for breath. He glared at the forest where the black dragon had once stood as the flames continued to turn the foliage to ash. "That'll teach him," He thought to himself. "He may be that feral's brother but he's still just as weak." Titanus was about to turn away towards the apes and deliver them a stern lesson when he heard a low whistle.

"Toasty." Neros sneered as he emerged from the flames. The ground beneath his feet was charred black but the albino remained unscathed. Titanus's eyes widened as he watched Neros lower his shield of convexity. "I can definitely see why you would hate Certo as much as you do. You're all brawn and no brains. I'd be willing to bet that he's shown you up on more than one occasion."

"What do you know?" Titanus fumed and swung his tail. Neros thrust his head forward, hitting the blue dragon from behind with a powerful burst of purple energy. Titanus hollered as he was sent flying through the air, smashing into a row of trees, snapping their trunks in half with a loud crack. Titanus coughed hard. He tasted blood in his mouth and looked down to see several chunks of wood stuck in his side and hind quarters. Neros walked past his goons, who huddled closer together in fear, and stood before the blue dragon. Titanus growled as blood trickled from his jaws.

"Like I said. You have power but no skill or practical use of how to use it." Neros shook his head in disgust. "It's a small wonder you dragons are all such weaklings."

"I'll show you who the weakling is!" Titanus's eyes blazed with fiery energy and his jaws opened wide. A burst of white-hot fire erupted from the back of his throat. In a flash, Neros lunged forward, striking the blue dragon in the side of the head, causing the deadly beam to cut another wound through the forest. The ground burst up in a deafening explosion of blue fire, causing the apes to cover their ears from the deep vibrations.

"Amazing." Neros smiled as he looked at the cowering dragons huddled together. "You were willing to risk the lives of your friends to get at me too." Titanus started to turn his head back but Neros jammed his tail blade into his muzzle, preventing him from turning his jaws in his direction. "I wonder," Neros turned to one ape and jerked his head at the trembling dragons. The hulking baboon stomped over and grabbed one of the dragons up by the tail. The yellow dragon screamed in fright, squirming to try and get away. The ape grabbed the male's throat, causing him to cough and gasp for air. "Would you sacrifice one of your friends to get a single hit on me?" Titanus stared hard at Neros to try and see what he was trying to do. Seeing that the fire-breather was contemplating his offer, Neros jerked his head again. Another ape moved in grabbing another young male, a fire dragon who had been trying to protect Frisco. The young dragon squalled and breathed fire, trying to scare away his assailant. The baboon struck the dragon across the head, stunning him long enough to get a good grip on his larynx.

"How about two?" Neros asked. "If you give me their lives, I may be willing to let you have a fair shot at me."

Titanus glanced at the two males. Their eyes pleaded with him to save them. Titanus only narrowed his eyes in return as a growl rumbled in his throat. Neros smiled and looked back at the apes. "I think we have ourselves a deal."

The barbarians smiled evilly and drew their daggers. The ape holding the fire breather plunged his blade into the orange dragon's warm flesh. The fire dragon released a gargled cry as Mateo and the others hollered in horror. The ape withdrew its blade from the dragon's neck and stabbed again, and again, spilling more blood across himself and the ground.

The other ape barked excitedly and thrust his blade forward. The lightning dragon squirmed, trying to get out of the way. The baboon's dagger met the dragon's hide but only managed to leave a jagged gash along the yellow dragon's side. The male cried out and began to thrash about even harder. The ape raised its blade and plunged the dagger into the lightning dragon's shoulder between his wing and spine. A shrill cry burst from the young male's throat. Suddenly a surge of electricity erupted from his body, catching the two apes by surprise, electrocuting both of them.

As the apes fell, they released the two dragons who hit the ground in a mess of blood, dirt and dried leaves. Mateo scrambled over to them, desperately trying to see if both were alive. Much to the young ice dragon's dismay, the fire-breather was dead, his eyelids drifting shut for good. The lightning dragon was still breathing, and trying to stand after being stabbed in the back. Mateo draped a wing over him, pulling his friend closer to the rest of the group.

The sudden bellow from Titanus grabbed their attention as Neros stepped back, allowing the blue dragon to face him once more. Blue flames licked at the fire-breather's jaws as he readied another blast to consume the albino before him. Just as he was about to release his specialty attack, Neros roared, generating a shock wave of convexity that knocked Titanus backwards, sending the hulking dragon tumbling head over heels. The blue dragon's breath element went wild, sending flames spilling about the forest, burning more trees and dried underbrush. The world seemed to spin out of control for Titanus as he lay on his side, staring out at the burning forest. Never before had he felt a power like this. The burning hot flames of Certo's power paled in comparison to the cold, negative energy Neros seemed to possess.

Slowly the fire dragon got to his feet. Blood dripped from his nose and mouth and trickled from his open wounds. His orange eyes locked on Neros who only stood before him, as calm and collected as he had seen Certo do so many times before. Seeing Neros standing like that made his insides burn with hate. He hated how these two air dragons acted so superior towards everyone. He was the strongest dragon around. Why was it he was being outmatched and outclassed by these peasant-class ferals?

Titanus struggled to rise but his legs were too weak and wounded to be of any use. Seeing that the blue dragon was unable to fight any longer, Neros frowned and turned away. The albino passed the six survivors of Titanus's gang and paused. Mateo and the others flinched, expecting to be assaulted at any moment. Seeing them cower before him made the black dragon laugh to himself as he walked away.

"Master?" The apes looked at the albino curiously.

"Come," Neros ordered, without so much as looking back at the gang of dragons. As he continued along the path which had been burned into the woods, the apes followed after him after giving one last glance back at the trembling dragons.

Titanus watched as the bodies of his murdered members were dragged off along the scorched ground. The smell of fresh blood left a bitter taste in his mouth and an even deeper burning hatred in his stomach. Mateo and the others could only huddle together in fear as they watched the apes disappear into the forest, barely daring to breathe, should the albino dragon change his mind.

As Neros continued along, he could sense the confusion amongst his subordinates. The apes were thoroughly baffled by their master's actions, and were anxiously waiting for an explanation.

Just when they were about to speak, Neros turned to look at a tall scrawny, scraggly-looking baboon with a savagely constructed chain-scythe slung around his back. "Keep an eye on that big one. I think he may be of some use to us after all."

"As you wish," the scout hissed with a bow. "I will do my best to serve your purpose."

Neros only gave a slight huff, leaving the group of apes to the command of the scout. The baboon gave a few gruff hoots, and waved for his fellow apes to disperse themselves amongst the forest while staying within earshot. The savages nodded and scattered. As the sounds of their footsteps faded away, Neros began forming a new plan in his mind.

"How are you feeling today, Amp?" Crona asked as she walked into his room. She and Certo had taken up residence again at Nitrus's home which was beginning to become crowded and noisy with Thundra attending recovering dragons, including Cytros and several of his guards. Certo, as usual, had been against the idea of moving in with the ice guardian and his family again, however Thundra had insisted it was safer for him if she could look after him herself.

The yellow dragon cracked open one eye to look up at the white dragoness. He wanted to talk, but he was still in a considerable amount of pain. All he could manage was a weak groan and stare at Crona's feet. It was the first time he had noticed how dark her talons were against her snow-white skin.

"You sound like Certo right there," Crona sighed sadly.

"He's still not talking to you huh?" Terra asked raising her head from off the pillow beside her fiancé. Crona shook her head and Terra could not help but curl her lip. "What is wrong with him? He's been like this for four days straight."

"I wish I knew." Crona shook her head. She too was finding herself even more confused with the black dragon's actions. Each time she thought she had him figured out, he would do something that would throw her through another loop, leaving her even more puzzled than before. "I don't think the attempt on his life would be enough to faze him much, if at all. But... he's been so lethargic, it almost worries me to ask what's really on his mind."

"Maybe you should tell him that," Terra suggested. "Let him know that he's hurting you by keeping to himself."

"Well, he's not exactly hurting me, per se." Crona shrugged, trying to hide the blood flowing to her cheeks. "Any good friend would worry about another."

"Crona," Terra spoke up in a sharper tone, forcing Crona to give her attention. "You have to stop playing games with yourself and admit that you like Certo. We can all see it. It's no secret to us."

Crona's face turned hot pink with embarrassment. "No! You all seem to think I have feelings for him when I only care for Certo as a friend! If you asked him yourself, he'd reply with the exact same thing! I'd bet my father's ring on it!" She struck the floor with her tail, showing off the gold tail ring her father had given her.

"You're not helping your case Crona." Terra chuckled, shaking her head. "He's just as guilty as you are. We both know that Certo will never come out and say that he likes anyone openly. So it's up to you to make the first move. Make him realize that someone loves him. Maybe then he'll open up more to all of us."

Crona was silent as her face continued to burn. She hated the fact that she could not get it through to these dragons that she was not interested in love in the slightest. She never had been and frankly did not care to try. It would only mean being distracted from the things she did love; her father, her studies, her future. Certo as well had expressed his lack of desire for any sort of relationship more than once, the most recent time being when Sabre had given him her confession.

"I still think you're wrong about all of this." Crona shook her head, turning away from the couple on the pillow cushions.

Terra giggled to herself. "Well, talk to him anyways. I think if you pressure him a little more he'll come around."

Crona did not reply. She exited the room with a snotty huff and walked down the hall towards the main chamber where Certo lay outside on the balcony. The scarred black dragon rested on a pile of wrinkled blankets with pillows scattered all around him. Outside, Crona could hear the almost sad whistle of the wind as it grazed over Certo's back, cooling his dark hide from the sun's rays. It was an unusually warm day for being so late in the fall. If it had not been for recent events, Crona would have liked to sit under a tree somewhere and work on her notes.

Certo sensed her presence and his tail spines ruffled slightly. Crona sat down beside him and gazed out at the vast forest beyond the trees. The sounds of birds could be heard all around as they chased one another in the breeze.

"Amp's still not fully feeling better," Crona spoke up. Certo only gave a half-hearted mumble. "He's lucky to survive such a bad puncture wound." Certo remained silent. He had seen how badly Tectonica's horn had gouged Amp. The young guardian had been fortunate enough to have only suffered minor bleeding in his internal organs. If it had been any other dragon they most likely would have died from loss of blood.

For a long time neither dragon spoke. Crona closed her eyes and concentrated hard on what she wanted to say. It was never easy talking to anyone about things on her mind, not even her father. Certo was in a completely different class of distant in terms of being a listening friend. It was hard to get him to care about anything to the point where it was visible, and when he did, one never knew in which direction he would take it. More often than not, he would take the negative route and go off on his own tangents.

"Certo," Crona leaned down until she could look into his blue eye. "Why won't you talk to any of us? You're usually not this closed off for this long."

Certo was quiet for another minute. Crona was starting to believe she was wasting her time when her friend let out a sigh. "I have no will to live anymore," he mumbled.

Those words hit Crona like a slap across the face. "You what?" She recoiled, expecting for Certo to sit up and face her. But he only continued to stare blankly out at the world beyond the balcony railing. "Certo, look at me!" Crona insisted. The black dragon only moved his eyes to meet the look of deep concern in her baby-blues. "Please tell me you don't mean that."

"Are you joking?" Certo demanded finally sitting up to look down at her from his long neck. "If so, your sense of humor is even worse than I thought."

"I don't understand why you're acting like this! Ever since the library, you've been moody and mopey and you won't tell any of us why!"

"Take a wild guess Crona! I've told you you're smart before; don't start acting dumb now!"

Crona was about to verbally lash back when she paused to think. "Was it something I said? Did? What?"

"Both!" Certo snapped. "I nearly died back at the library and so did Amp! He never would have gotten hurt if you hadn't interfered with me trying to defend myself!"

"First off, you need to get your facts straight." Crona interrupted pressing her snout against his. "Amp was already hurt beforehand, so me interjecting would have made little to no difference."

"It would have made all the difference in his condition if I had just been able to fight back without you knocking me down!" Certo shouted.

"I was trying to save your life!" Crona shot back.

Certo blinked and shook his head. "What do you mean trying to save my life? I had a clear shot and I could have easily overpowered her with that blast!"

A slap struck the black dragon across the cheek, snapping out of his temporary rage. When he turned back he could see Crona's eyes had suddenly gotten glossy with tears. Her chin quivered as if she were ready to cry at any second. "Certo you don't realize how dangerous that new power of yours is! It acts on your feelings and your hate nearly cost you your life! Neros saw that and he exploited it! He deliberately went out of his way to try and make you lose control, and he succeeded."

"But Crona, I..." Certo suddenly felt her paw clamp his mouth shut. Crona froze time so they could have a private moment, suspecting that Amp and Terra would be listening from the adjacent balcony.

"I almost lost you for good once," Crona whispered, trying to keep her voice from cracking. "I don't want to lose you again." Certo could only stare at her in bewildered shock as she released his muzzle.

"So that's it?" He managed to stammer after a moment. "You're just going to leave it at that? After all that time. All that training you put me through in order to teach me how to master this... I don't even know what to call it! But all that was for nothing?"

"If I had known it would have turned out like this then I never would have offered my help," Crona whimpered.

"So you've helped me master a power I can't use. Now I can't protect anyone or anything for that matter. I can't protect anything if I can't use it."

"You've got your natural abilities Certo. You're not helpless," Crona pointed out, wiping her eyes.

"I'm not strong enough, Crona!" Certo protested. "Without that power, Neros far outclasses me. I'm no match for him."

"You're as much of a match as you let yourself to be."

"But if I'm not strong enough to protect anything anyways, what's the point? If what I'm trying to protect is going to be destroyed anyways, why am I even wasting my time and energy? It's not worth it."

"Don't say that Certo," Crona answered in a tone that indicated she could take off on a rant or burst out crying. "You can still fight if you put your mind to it."

"Oh? Well what do you fight for?"

"Peace. Happiness. Family. Friends." Crona was surprised she was able to answer him so quickly. Perhaps it was because these things had been on her mind for months now. "Things like that mean the most to me."

"Well, where is the rest of your family? Your dad must be worried about you if he's still around like you've said before."

Crona froze. "That's not..." she could not bring herself to finish the sentence as it would have been a blatant lie. She still considered getting home to be important, but also she had to make sure she got home to a world she recognized. The dragoness gave a dejected sigh and bumped her head against the railing. "Certo, what I'm trying to say..." She turned and looked him in the eye. "There's always something to fight for. Sometimes you just have to look for it."

The black dragon was quiet for a long time. When he finally moved, he lay back down on the crumpled blankets and closed his eyes, hoping to fall asleep. Within minutes he was out, leaving Crona alone with her private thoughts. She looked over to see Certo's tail strategically placed on top of hers, allowing himself to be temporarily unaffected by her active power. The white dragoness could not help but notice that he had gotten used to her using her powers around him semi-regularly, despite his lack of knowledge about them. As Crona released her hold on time, she began to feel remorse weigh heavily in her stomach. She knew why. But the question lingering in her mind was "Is it okay for me to tell him?"

Terra breathed in the crisp air as she and Certo flew over the treetops. The ice dragoness had suggested that Certo go with her on a short flight, just to get away from Crona for a short while.

_"The fresh air will do you some good,"_ she had said optimistically.

"For being the time of year that it is, it sure has been nice out hasn't it?"

"Hm," was all Certo mumbled. Terra eyed him keenly as they continued to glide along, riding the thermals as far as they could before taking a single wing beat.

The longer Terra stared, the more uncomfortable Certo became. Normally he could ignore the watchful eyes of others until they finally got bored and moved on, but today he seemed especially agitated.

"Can I help you?" The black dragon finally asked turning to look at Terra with a heated glare.

"I want to ask you a personal question, that's all," Terra replied casually, not wanting to stir up any more tension than necessary. Certo narrowed his eyes at the ice dragoness and immediately she read what he was saying. "No, Crona didn't put me up to it. I'm asking on my own terms here." Certo gave another disgusted huff and folded his wings, diving towards the nearest open field. They were not too far away from the field where the field hospital had been erected. As Terra followed after him, she could see him eyeing the burned landscape to the west. Certo finally came to land at the edge of the forest where the trees were petrified solid. Terra landed beside him and looked around. Nothing was growing here. There probably would not be any foliage for a long time if at all anymore. Either way, this area would hold bitter memories for her and everyone else.

"Crona was right," Certo murmured as he walked across the burned ground. Terra's head snapped around to face him. He had his gaze set on the ashes under his feet, flexing his toes, grinding the hard earth with his claws. "Neros... he knew... He knew about my power." Terra bit her lip and pursed her lips tightly together. It pained her to see Certo like this, realizing what had happened to him, but without the slightest clue as to why, while she, Crona, Amp, Vixen and Sabre knew the truth. "He knows what gets to me. He used that to make me lose control of my power. And now Crona won't let me use it without having an anxiety attack first!" He fumed and slashed the earth, sending a cloud of ash into the air. "And what am I supposed to do now? I can't harness my power unless I get mad! Neros is the easiest way for that to happen, but then there's the chance I'll end up killing myself or someone else if I lose control over this... this damned curse!"

The black dragon's temper was beginning to show again. Terra's limbs locked up when she saw his scars flash once.

"I wish I could say I know how you feel Certo," Terra said gently, draping a wing around his back, trying to calm him down. She could already feel his body temperature rising and the heat tingled her membranes. "But you know, karma can be a blessing or a curse. In a way, you were using it to harm someone so I think that may be also why it backfired on you. Though backfired would be the biggest understatement of a lifetime."

"What the heck is karma?" Certo turned to the grey dragoness with a raised brow.

"Think of it as a force that determines your destiny. If you use your gifts for good then you'll be rewarded for it. But use them for evil, and you'll most likely end up paying a very heavy price."

"I can only imagine what sort of price Neros will pay. Death seems too lenient for him. I wish he could feel the pain and suffering I carry around every single day! I want him to feel the hurt he's put on everyone because of his actions."

"But don't you see, that's your problem, Certo." Terra said stepping in front of him to look him in the eye. "You want nothing but revenge for what your brother did to you, and it's made you blind to everyone else around you! You're so bent on killing him that you don't realize how much we don't want you to go down this path of self-destruction."

"I've been on this so-called path the moment I woke up in your home!" Certo snarled, pressing his snout to Terra's. "I have only one purpose in life now and that's to avenge my family and stop this whole war from happening."

"Certo, the war isn't just going to end because of you! It's going to take all of us!"

"But you all could barely fight when I got here! I can hold off more apes on my own than any dragon around!"

"Certo, that's the type of thinking that will get you killed!" Terra exclaimed. "Don't throw your life away so readily! You have so much to live for!"

"Like what? If I don't put an end to this conflict, more dragons will die! I'm tired of dragons dying around me! Everyone knows that I'm the cause of all this!"

"We don't blame you for it Certo!"

"But you all walked in stride with that over-sized blueberry Volcanus at one point."

"But we've learned from our mistakes! Surely even you see that! You can walk about our streets without anyone so much as batting a wary eyelash at you!"

"Yet every time I try and do good, life goes and throws it back in my face!"

"What are you talking about?"

"Sabre being taken hostage! Crona nearly dying because I tried to leave and spare you all from any more pain! The academy is gone because of me and Neros! Annol died because he followed after me to help Crona and now I've destroyed the library on top of that! What can I do that will bring happiness to those around me without having it destroyed the next time I decide to blink?"

"You can start by opening up to us more," Terra replied.

"I won't!" Certo bellowed, his bad eye and scars suddenly blazing with crimson energy.

Terra took a step back as the cold grip of fear took hold of her heart. "Certo, calm down!"

"No!" The black dragon fumed, the wind suddenly picked up, sending dirt and ash into the air. "I don't want to care about anyone! I don't care about anyone! I wish everyone would just get the hint and leave me alone!"

Terra felt a stab of pain in her chest hearing those words. Deep down she knew he didn't truly mean it, but they still struck a chord with her. "Fine," she sighed, brushing past him. "If you don't want to care, then I should just leave you alone. But just so you know, you will die alone if you keep this up." Certo glared at her as she walked back towards the city. "Oh, and I'll be sure to relay the message that you want to be left alone for good to Crona. I'm sure she'll be heartbroken about it."

"Whatever," Certo growled as he turned and stomped off. He heard the young dragoness take to the air and her wing beats disappear into the distance. He stormed through the woods, his heart racing wildly, pounding against his chest. His scars still blazed in the darkness of the trees but not enough to turn the sky the deep crimson it normally did when his temper skyrocketed.

It took the black dragon nearly an hour of walking before he came to another clearing. The horizon rose and fell with small hills with apple trees scattered about the area. Certo walked up to one of the trees and stood with his front paws pressed against the tree trunk. He struck the bark five times before one of the apples fell. He walked over to the fallen fruit and sniffed at it. The treat was not as ripe as he preferred but he could expect little more during this time of the year. He took the apple in his mouth and took a bite. The meat of the fruit was not as succulent either, but the sour taste lingered in his mouth. As a hatchling, he had always enjoyed the sour sweetness of apples. However, now that he was eating one again for the first time in months, he began to despise them for the memories they brought along with them.

Certo spit the remainder of the apple out and scowled as he watched the half-eaten fruit roll back down the hill. It made him furious that he could not enjoy something as simple as eating without feeling negative emotions.

"Why me!" He shouted to the clouds above the treetops. "Huh? Why! Wh-y!" His scars became alive with energy as his eye began to burn with killing intent. The clouds overhead seemed to gather and rumble as they morphed from puffy white to monstrously blood-red. "I never asked for any of this!" Certo wailed, his voice carrying in sonic waves across the hills. In his mind he could see his family, staring at him with looks of disinterest as they would do when he was younger "I just wanted everyone to be happy! So why did you make me suffer for it? Huh? Why?" Tears were beginning to gather at the rims of his eyes. The salty fluid quickly sizzled upon his skin turning to vapor. "I hate you!" Certo hollered, his voice carrying for miles. "I hate you all!"

The black dragon's cry turned to a roar of pure anguish. His body erupted in a mass of red light which pierced through the clouds overhead. All the pain he carried in his heart seemed to be flooding out of him in one massive surge. It was like he was losing himself, being torn away from a body that was not his, but that he had been clinging to for ages. "I don't want to live anymore!"

Certo had not felt this way since he had last left the city when trying to escape from Crona. The mental image of the white dragoness flashed in Certo's mind over and over. Her skin was so pure against the pain and hurt of the world around her. How was it she was so smart for being so young? How could she stand by his side after everything he put her through? Was it really her life experiences that made her such a strong figure to him?

"Crona," Certo sobbed. "I'm sorry. I just want to protect everyone." He lay on his stomach and buried his face in the cool grass. "I don't want anyone else to get hurt, so I don't let them get close. I just want to protect everyone."

As Certo lay in the grass, he began feeling the strength of the wind die down to a gentle moan. A soft breeze brushed against his back, sending a shiver up his spine; not as if he were cold, but rather a warm tingle. Certo raised his head to look at his forelimbs. They were still glowing, but they were no longer scorching anything that touched them. Certo placed the back of his paw towards his cheek. The energy felt warm, almost healing; soothing. "Use your gifts for good," he mumbled to himself, repeating Terra's words from earlier.

Slowly, Certo got to his feet. He could feel the wind warming his scales and humming through the tree branches. It felt as if he was seeing the world for the very first time like when he had first hatched. A sense of rebirth filled him from the tips of his claws to the end of his tail blade. The black dragon sucked in a deep breath, filling his lungs to their maximum capacity before letting out a deep sigh, causing the wind to subside in response. The air cooled him from the inside out, refreshing his mind and body. His shoulders rolled, making him realize how stiff he had been for the past several days. He stretched his entire body out, popping the joints along his spine, feeling the extent of his flexibility return.

After going through what most dragons did as a morning routine stretch, Certo yawned loudly with a satisfied growl incorporated into it. He seemed to stand taller than he had ever done before in his life. He felt that for once, he could do anything he put his mind to.

It was then the sound of rapid wing beats reached his ears. He turned around and froze when he saw the white dragoness land at the bottom of the hill. "Crona."

"You what?" Crona gasped, nearly choking on the water she had been drinking.

"I said I just left him," Terra repeated. "He's so bent on not wanting to care about anyone or anything, I figured it would be best to leave him be."

"Have you lost your mind?" Crona demanded, nearly slapping Amp in the face with her tail, as she frantically paced back and forth in front of his bed. The guardian flinched, trying to keep out of her way as much as possible. "If we leave him alone, he's going to go after his brother for sure! He's going to use his powers to kill him and ultimately himself!"

Terra's brows jumped. "Wow, he was right. He can't do anything now without you having an anxiety attack."

Crona turned a hot glare onto the ice dragoness. "Terra, I thought you were going to be looking after him."

"I am," The younger dragoness chirped. "I left him to think about how you would react if he just up and left without saying a word. I wanted him to think of the one dragoness who cares the most for him, and think about how she would feel if he just disappeared."

Crona's jaw fell open. She could easily ignore the remarks from onlookers who viewed her and Certo as having any sort of relationship. But the very thought of Certo not being around anymore stabbed her with a bolt of fear.

"You can relax," Terra waved a dismissive paw. "I know Certo has a good heart. He'll come around. He usually does."

"More or less," Amp muttered.

Before Crona could make a slashing remark to the young guardian, a rumble thundered across the sky. The three dragons turned and looked out past Terra's balcony at the blood-red sky. Immediately their eyes widened in horrified realization.

"Oh no," Terra shook her head. "This... this isn't happening! I thought he would take my words into consideration!"

Crona did not hesitate for a split second. She leaped towards the balcony railing and launched off into the air.

"We'll be right behind you!" Terra shouted after her. She turned around to see Amp struggling to get to his feet and moved to support him.

As Crona climbed higher into the sky, she could hear the faint echo of an agonized cry in the distance. Suddenly fearing the worst, she beat her wings harder, taking in as much air as she could. Time stood still as the white dragoness shot over the treetops, heading towards the field hospital. As she neared her destination she allowed time to resume its course. The dragoness scanned the area, looking every which way for any sign of the black dragon.

It was then a gust of wind blew by, sending a warm tingle up Crona's spine. The dragoness shuddered at the surprisingly comfortable feeling and turned in the direction it had come from. The sky was returning to its normal state, reminding her of how nice at day it was. But only one thing mattered to her right now. Crona took off again as another breeze whisked by. Up ahead was another break in the forest by several acres of hills, littered with apple trees. Standing on the nearest hill stood the black dragon she had been fretting over. Certo was stretching beneath one of the apple trees as a pleasant breeze whispered through the trees. The black dragon sensed her presence and turned to face her.

Crona landed several yards away, confused and concerned about what was going on. She had been certain she would either find the black dragon dead or in a fit of blind rage, from which she may never pull him out of. But looking at him now she found herself feeling more awkward than frightened. Certo seemed to be okay, even with his body glowing with energy, and even more astonishing, he was calm. Crona watched as he walked down the hill towards her. There was confidence in his stride, something she had never seen before.

Certo stopped several feet from her and looked her in the eye. Crona realized that she had been staring with her mouth hung open and quickly tried to compose herself. "Certo, I... How are you not... I don't..."

"It's alright," Certo murmured, taking another hesitant step towards her. He was being cautious in case she decided to run off. "Everything is fine now."

"But I don't understand." Crona shook her head. "H-how are you..."

"I'm not fully sure myself." Certo shrugged with his wings. "But I think I've found what I've needed to fight for."

Crona stared at the black dragon blankly for a moment before realizing what he had been talking about. After she remembered their previous conversation she sighed deeply and walked the remaining few steps until she could rest her head on his chest. "I was scared," She whimpered, her voice barely audible to the black dragon. "I was scared I'd lose you."

Certo fell silent as he looked down at her; she was trembling all over. Crona gave a soft coo when she felt a pair of wings drape around her body. Certo felt warm and comforting, and his wing digits tickled her hips and thighs in such a way that she pressed harder into his chest. She could hear the strong beat of his heart and the faint sound of a contented growl rumble in his throat.

"I didn't mean to scare you," Certo murmured, leaning down to nuzzle her cheek. "I... I just hate feeling helpless. I wanted to help, and I felt like I couldn't. I lost my temper and I'm sorry."

Crona shook her head, leaning back to stare him in the eyes. "I'm just relieved you're okay. Like I told you before, you're not helpless."

"Not anymore, I'm not," Certo muttered, rubbing his snout against hers. Crona cooed again, enjoying the comforting contact. "I've found what I'm looking for. So once again, you were right."

Crona pulled away and fixed him with a curious stare. "And what would that be?"

Certo only managed to crack a faint hint of a grin. "It's not important."

Crona puffed her cheeks out in a display of annoyance. "Oh come on, I spend all that time worrying about you and won't even tell me what you did to control yourself? I could use that information for my notes."

"Oh is that all?" Certo scoffed. "Am I just another source of information to you?"

"No you dweeb! I'm saying that I can use that information to help you out in the future! Now will you tell me or not."

Certo paused as he thought over how to explain to her what had happened. The more he thought about it, the more he came to realize that it made him sound like he had feelings for her. The black dragon stared into the dragoness's eyes as they looked up at him, patiently waiting for an answer. They seemed to almost sparkle with eager anticipation for his explanation. Certo sighed and turned away, thankful that his dark scales hid any sort of redness on his face.

"What? What's wrong?" Crona asked, following after him as he walked back up the hill to sit beneath the apple tree.

"N-nothing," Certo mumbled. He waited for Crona to sit down beside him; all the while he continued to take side-glances at her out of the corner of his eye. When she finally sat down, Certo took in a deep breath. "I... I think I know what to call this power of mine."

Crona raised a brow and cocked her head sideways. "Oh? And what's that?"

"It's something Terra mentioned earlier," Certo said, gazing out at the rolling hills. "Karma can either work in your favor or against you, depending on how you choose to use your gifts. When I used it for revenge, I only ended up hurting more. But now," he turned and looked down at her. "I think I know how to control it. By wanting to protect the things that are precious in life."

The white dragoness felt her cheeks flush slightly as she thought over his words. Did he mean precious in a way that generalized everything? Or was he referring to her specifically? Crona wanted to ask but the black dragon's personal break-through was of far greater interest to her.

"Karma," she tasted the name on her tongue. The title definitely fit the characteristics she had seen of this element. After a moment of thought she nodded her approval. "I like it."

"Karma it is then." Certo bobbed his head. The two dragons stared at each other, not sure what else to say. For a long time they sat in uneasy silence, unsure of what to do next. Crona fidgeted uncomfortably as she fought with herself on what she wanted to tell the black dragon. So many uncertainties plagued her mind as she tried to come up with an answer that would protect her future and give him the insight into her life he deserved . Crona found herself making several side glances at him and she continued to nervously knead the soft dirt with her talons. Certo was the one dragon during this age of budding chaos that truly understood the world for what it was, as well as the beauty it held. He did not understand everything, but he could take things at face value and judge his decision in a noble, if not often irrational, way.

"It's the least he deserves," Crona murmured, not realizing she had spoken aloud.

"What?" Certo turned to face her, snapping the white dragoness out of her trance.

"Um, nothing!" Crona squeaked, her face burning with embarrassment. Certo studied her for another minute before turning away. Crona continued to stare at him until she could no longer take the pressure she was weighing on herself. "Certo." The black dragon turned to face her once again. "I have something I want to tell you."


	31. Chapter 31

"How are you holding up?" Terra asked as she and Amp glided over the forest below.

"I'm surviving," Amp muttered. It had taken the wounded guardian several minutes to get the height he needed to stay aloft without flapping his wings. The entire time, Amp tried his best to hide the extreme amount of pain he was enduring trying to gain the altitude he needed.

Terra smiled at him, feeling a tad guilty about suggesting he come along when he needed to rest. "I'm sorry," she apologized. "I think it was selfish of me to have you get up when you're not feeling well."

"I suppose it's the least I deserve," Amp breathed, inflating his lungs with the crisp, refreshing air. "I still feel bad about the way I've been thinking about Certo after... well, you know."

Terra nodded understandingly. "But you shouldn't blame yourself. We all have our doubts at one point or another."

"But Crona's right though. He needs friends right now… and I almost stopped being one."

"Well you're here now, and I think that's what counts," Terra cooed, brushing his shoulder with her wing tip. Amp sighed before smiling back at his fiancé. The couple reached the area of the forest which had been burned away almost permanently by Certo's energy. There was no sign of the black dragon or white dragoness to be seen.

"Do you think they're further out?" Amp called as Terra banked off to scan the area.

"I can't say for certain!" She called back. "But it's a possibility." Amp continued to glide along, scanning the shadows along the forest floor, while Terra searched in a wide circle around him. The wind felt warm, more so than usual. The updraft tingled their wing membranes, filling them with an odd sense of relaxation.

"Are you getting this feeling everything is okay?" Amp asked when Terra came closer to him.

"Yes. It's strange but for some reason I don't have the same sense of urgency I did before. Funny isn't it?"

"I'll say," Amp muttered, gliding steadily towards the ground; Terra followed. Both were unsure of the new feeling that was sweeping over them, and the uneasiness continued to settle into their stomachs as they aimlessly wandered through the woods. "I don't hear any screaming or shouting, so should we consider that a good sign?"

"I'm not too sure where Certo is concerned," Terra muttered. "Are you okay to walk on your own?"

Amp raised a brow at his mate. "Are you suggesting that we split up?"

Terra nodded. "Only for a short while. I want to scout ahead and see if I can find any trace of those two. But if you aren't going to be safe alone, then I'm not going to risk leaving you."

The young male smiled and nuzzled the grey dragoness's cheek. "I'll be right behind you. Go on ahead and I'll call if I need anything."

"You promise?" Terra asked, giving him a skeptical stare, trying to see if he was pulling the same routine Certo did so many times. The yellow dragon only responded with a peck on her cheek. Terra felt her cheeks warm up and she averted her green eyes from him. Somehow the moment caused her to coo softly before turning away to dash on ahead.

Amp chuckled to himself as he continued walking after her, keeping his own pace, trying his best not to pay attention to his aches and pains. The more he walked, the more his body began to throb. He could not understand how Certo was able to continue moving when he had been injured, on the few occasions he had witnessed. Maybe it was a sign of how strong Certo really was, even though he did not look it. Or maybe it's just his stubbornness and not wanting to appear weak in the eyes of those around him. "Or at least weaker," Amp mumbled, a growl rumbling in his throat as he thought back to Tectonica's attempted assassination at the library.

He could hardly believe that the attack had happened in the first place. Never in his wildest dreams had he thought of Tectonica being the type to try and openly attack another dragon. He had overheard from Nitrus, while recovering, that no one had found any sign of Tectonica, Volcanus or Titanus since the attack. Captain Cytros had ordered search parties to inspect the city thoroughly, searching every alley and hiding spot, trying force out the traitorous guardians. Amp frowned as he did not like the thought of calling dragons he had grown up around as traitors. They had not gone and joined the apes, along with Certo's brother, but they also had not made any efforts to make relations between the city dragons and Certo any sweeter.

"Amp," a soft voice whispered. The lightning guardian lifted his head to see Terra coming back towards him. He had not realized how long she had been gone and did not get a chance to reflect on it, for the grey dragoness wrapped her tail around his neck, pulling him along at a slightly quicker pace.

"W-what's going on? "Amp choked, shaking himself free from her grasp.

"Sh!" Terra hissed, frost jetting from between her teeth. "Come on, I'll show you!" She hunkered low towards the ground, scurrying along like a small, woodland creature. Amp followed her lead, wincing to himself as he tried to stay as low as possible without hurting himself. It took a little while for Terra to come to a stop, but when she did, Amp found themselves at the edge of the forest. Beyond the dense underbrush lay the hilly countryside where apple trees decorated the landscape with their colored fruits.

"What are we doing?"

"Sh!" Terra hissed again, more forcefully this time. She hunkered down low and pointed a talon towards the nearest hill. Amp's gaze followed her direction and soon fell upon the two dragons sitting beneath a luscious, green, apple tree.

"No way," Amp murmured, keeping his voice low.

"They aren't arguing, so that's a good sign," Terra whispered, moving to try and get a better view of the two dragons.

"Any idea what they're talking about?"

"They're too far to hear." Terra shook her head. "But let's stay here and see what happens."

The soft sound of waves against the shore brought Crona back from the darkness. As she slowly came to her senses she began to notice the gentle swashing of water against her hindquarters. She moaned softly, still feeling weak from the lack of food. The sound of lapping water against the rocks also made her realize how much her own stomach was churning. As she struggled to lift her head, an intense nausea overwhelmed her and she gave an agonized cry. The young dragoness coughed and wretched across the tiny, glassy-smooth pebbles that made up the beach she lay on. The saltwater tasted horrid along with the stomach acid that had built up inside her. By the time she was done her stomach felt even worse than before.

Crona flopped back onto the beach, gasping for air and staring out at the world. The sky seemed to be duller than usual, almost darker; as if the blue mist itself was more concentrated here and had taken a visible form. The white dragoness's eyes rolled around in their sockets as they studied the beach she was on. It was an alcove surrounded by high, jagged rocks which stretched beyond her view.

When she dared to lift her head, the young dragoness was able to spot a small break in the rocks. Unfortunately, it was way down the beach; at least a hundred yards. The dragoness sighed and closed her eyes sadly. She wished her father was here to take care of her; even Ignitus would have been able to carry her home, away from this place.

It took a great effort on her part to get to her feet. As she swayed on her shaky legs, trying to get her bearings, all she could focus on was the break in the rocks down the beach. After several minutes of standing perfectly still and reassuring herself that she could stand on her own, Crona took an experimental step forward. When she did not topple over again, she took another step, gradually shifting her weight so as not to surprise herself should she collapse. Before she knew it she was walking briskly towards the crevice. The break in the stone appeared to be a path up from the beach; the only way up from the beach, seeing as how she could not muster the strength to take flight. Crona did not like the idea of having to walk when she could fly, but she also realized that she had no choice in the matter.

Step by step, she walked up the path, her body aching from the lack of food and exhaustion. Nevertheless, she continued up the mountain in a half-dazed state. The walls of rock truly were sharp. Several times, Crona would be snapped out of her trance, even for a brief moment, when she would accidentally bump into the wall on either side of her. The pain did little to deter her from her goal of getting away from the beach, far below. The next thing she realized, she had followed the path into a dark tunnel. It was here that she began to feel a sense of panic overtake her senses. No light came from outside the long tunnel which stretched for hundreds of meters up ahead. Crona closed her eyes and shook her head helplessly. She honestly wished she could just stop right here and now; not go another step, forget about helping stop the war, never find what she was looking for. None of these mattered anymore. Crona flopped down on the floor and cried silently for her father. Never before had she felt so alone.

She was about to give up entirely when a soft voice in her head whispered in the back of her mind. "Don't give up." Crona opened her eyes, still sniffling to herself. She could see the light far ahead at the end of the tunnel. It was so far; but she could see the end of the tunnel, it was not entirely out of her reach. A weary groan echoed down the passageway as the young dragoness hoisted herself up onto her feet again. Crona closed her eyes and began to concentrate. A strong breeze rushed into her lungs filling her with the thick blue mist which weighed heavily in this strange place. The magic flowed through her body, refreshing her, even for a brief amount of time. Crona's eyes snapped open and she kicked hard, propelling herself forward; charging towards the light ahead. A couple times, she tripped on unseen rocks, but managed to catch herself and push onward.

"Almost there!" She coached in her mind. "Almost there! Almost there!" The light was drawing closer with each bound. The exit began to expand the closer she drew towards it. "Almost there!" She huffed to herself. The white dragoness gave one final push, sprinting as fast as she could the last few feet before bursting into the open sun. The light instantly blinded her, causing Crona to come to an abrupt halt before shielding herself from the glare with her wings.

For a long time, Crona stood gasping for breath, allowing her eyes to adjust to the light. Once she was no longer seeing spots, she folded her wings against her sides and looked around. She was at the top of the mountain she had been climbing with the beach an almost invisible spec below. All around she could only see blue, whether it was the water of the ocean or fog, she could not tell right away. But what really grabbed her attention, making her jaw drop was the rocks before her, floating peacefully, undisturbed by the gentle breeze that swept by. The stones looked as though they had been sitting there patiently for centuries, if not longer, without being seen or touched by another soul.

Crona shuddered and ruffled her wings as a sense of familiarity brushed over her. It felt as if she knew this place from a dream. She turned her head and looked up the pathway to see a towering temple at the top of the mountain she was climbing. The building itself was embedded into the mountain, carved from the very rock that surrounded it. Crona's eyes grew wide as she took in the sight before her. The architecture of this place gave it a majestic, palace-like appearance, yet still plain. No carvings were engraved into the stone nor were there any signs of inscriptions as Crona padded up towards the open entrance. There was no door to this enormous place, which struck the dragoness as odd, seeing as how all the temples she had seen up until now had contained doors and windows, to keep unwanted guests out.

"Hello?" Crona called, before coughing harshly. She had not noticed how dry her throat was until she tried to use her voice to see if anyone was around. The sound echoed across the front chamber and down the several halls it had split into. After waiting patiently, Crona's curiosity got the better of her as she proceeded into the temple.

Inside, the young dragoness wandered the corridors aimlessly. Like its outer appearance, the inside was rather plain in terms of decorations. There were no large, elaborate carvings, pictures or engravings of any sort to give the dragoness a hint of where she was. As Crona continued to explore the seemingly unending halls, she began to see how humble of a place this temple was, despite the eerie statues that occasionally stood in the halls. Each time Crona passed by one, she half expected the creepy-looking rock to come to life and chase her out. But the more time continued to pass the less she focused on the statues and the more on the maze-like hallways.

By now it was clear to her that she was lost, yet for some reason she continued on, not knowing what force urged her to do so. At last she came to a stop and looked down a hall she was certain she had not been down yet. At the very end, she could see a faint blue glow at the end, a light unlike the crystal lanterns that illuminated the halls. Curiosity kicked in once more and Crona started forward. The room was large, much larger than the front room when she had entered this isolated temple. In the center sat a great hourglass which seemed to stretch towards the ceiling itself, which was shrouded in the shadows, not reachable by the glow it gave off.

As Crona's eyes scanned round the room, her jaw fell open. "Wow..." She whispered in her mind, almost afraid to speak openly, in fear of this all being a dream only to make her wake up any minute in a fit of frustration.

Hundreds of books lined the floors and shelves. But what caught Crona's attention as she moved in for a closer look was not that these were any regular books; the had names on each one, of individuals and places around the world. These were history books; dragon history books. Crona's eyes widened as she craned her neck up at the shelves, with dragon history in its entirety looming over her.

After the initial realization, the white dragoness had to sit down. Crona closed her eyes and shook the vertigo from her head as she tried to get a hold of herself. This place felt so unwaveringly familiar, yet she had never been here before. She had never seen these marvelous treasured scriptures or even walked the halls of such a quiet place. Now the main question that settled in her mind was, why?

When Crona opened her eyes, she looked up at a shelf near her. One particular book seemed to call out to her as she walked over to it, and its dusty contents. The book itself was enormous and heavy, and it took Crona standing on her hind legs and pulling with all her might to drag the book out from its resting spot. The book hit the floor with a loud thud that echoed throughout the chamber. Crona winced at the loud noise and listened to hear if anything else stirred besides herself. A low creak came from a shelf, higher up. Crona looked up to see a book which had been resting on its side begin to slide off the shelf.

"No!" Crona screamed. Her paw involuntarily shot out to catch it, as the book fell towards the floor. The book stopped its plummet in response, and hung suspended in the air as if waiting to be given a new order. Crona's eyes widened even more and her mouth fell open. She glanced from her paw to the book and instinctively waved it closer, beckoning it to come towards her. The book floated steadily and peacefully towards the young dragoness, before settling gently on the floor. Crona breathed a sigh of relief, thankful that it had not been damaged.

As if responding to her breath, the book cover popped open. Crona jumped in alarm and stepped back as its pages flipped rapidly until it stopped somewhere in the middle of its contents. Crona glanced at her paw again and waved at the book. Its pages flipped back to the beginning but then immediately returned to the previous spot. Feeling less afraid, Crona moved closer to the open book and flipped the pages back with a wave of her paw again; and again, the book returned to its open position.

Crona sighed, seeing that starting from the beginning of the text was not an option here. Here baby-blue eyes scanned over the words on the first couple of pages before she raised a paw, testing out her new ability again, and turned to the next page. What she saw made her freeze in shock. On the following page was an illustration of an image Crona had spent years trying to remove from her mind.

Dragons flew in the air and snarled on the ground as the forces of the Dark Master pressed forwards against their lines, their corpses covering the ground along with the numerous fallen dragons of that day. Out towards the front was the fire guardian Ignitus, leading the charge while the apes scrambled to get away from the flames billowing from his open mouth.

Crona felt her heart tie itself into a knot as the memories of that horrible day came flooding back to her. She sucked in a deep breath as she placed her paw on the illustration. She could see two familiar dragons in the background, fending off the apes that had slipped past Ignitus's frontline platoon; her mother and father. She could still hear the agonized cries of her wounded father as he watched his mate murdered before his eyes. The ringing of her mother's final shrieks still hurt the white dragoness's ears to this day. Crona lifted the book to look at it's cover. On it was a description: The Dragon-Ape War.

She was about to flip to the very beginning to find out when and how this war had started, when the sound of shuffling caused the young dragoness to jump and snap her head around. Another book slid off its shelf and floated towards her before settling down on top of the book she had before here. Its binding was fiery orange with golden ornaments stitched into the front and back covers. On the front cover, Crona read the name 'Ashe'.

"Mother," she spoke with the faintest of whispers. Crona's paw trembled as she waved the book open. Page by page, the young dragoness read on, studying her mother's life. She had been born into the war as she herself had been, but raised by a loving family throughout her life. Her grandparents had been fortunate enough to pass from aging rather than at the hands of the Dark Master's malevolent forces. It was not until after her mother had joined the dragon military, that she had met her father, Kryos. The two had been engaged long enough until her father had been wounded in a skirmish with the apes on a reconnoissance mission, where they then decided it was time to join together as life mates. No sooner had she read this than the pages jumped forward in time to the battle Crona remembered so clearly.

On this page was another illustration of that same battle. Ashe donned her silver armor and bravely fought off the vicious attackers. Crona could see herself and Arcadia in the background, huddled against one another in fear as the apes scrambled to get at them. Crona sighed as more tears began to fill her eyes. She squeezed them shut and hid them away, afraid to show weakness before all that remained of her mother. She flipped back to her mother's beginning, looking at the illustrations of her grandparents; this was the first time she had ever seen them. One was a fire dragon, her grandfather, and the other an ice dragoness, her grandmother. It was clear where she got her eyes from; it seemed to run in the family.

Noticing this little fact for the first time made Crona smile. She set her paw down over the picture of her mother, who looked to be about her age right now, and choked back another sob. "I love you mom."

"She would be proud of you."

The white dragoness had gotten so caught up in her reading she had failed to notice the lingering presence sneak up behind her. The sudden voice made Crona jump in surprise, knocking the book over in the process. She whirled around to see a large, old, white dragon adorning a black cape which draped over his back and shoulders. Large scroll holsters were strapped to his hips, both filled with scrolls, papers and writing tools. The dragon was clearly much older than any elder Crona had met before in her life. His eyes resembled her own, dulled down by the years passed. His wings were tattered and worn down and his spines had become far overgrown which made Crona begin to wonder exactly how old this stranger was.

As she continued to look him over, she began to notice his jewelry. It was very similar to her own; the tail rings he wore looked identical to the one she wore as well as her father. A large gold collar hung around his shoulders at the base of his neck, a large blue crystal hanging from a short chain in the front. The markings along the side of the collar resembled the ones on the ring Crona wore on her left horn, making her think that this dragon might possibly have been family. But how could he be? No one in her family wore such charms or displayed the dull skin coloration he did. At least as far as she knew.

Seeing that she was not going to flee, the old dragon smiled and approached the young dragoness. Crona watched as he looked down at her mother's book, a somewhat saddened expression on his face. "Your mother was a strong dragoness," he spoke in a voice that had grown raspy over the years. "She would have been pleased to see how well you have grown up."

Crona reared back a couple inches, taken aback by his claim. "How do you know my mother?" She asked, narrowing her eyes at him.

The elder lifted his head to look around the vast chamber they were in. "Young dragoness, I know just about all there is to know in the world we live in." He waved a paw and the hourglass began to glow brighter, illuminating the shelves high above which Crona had not been able to see. The shelves stretched all the way towards the ceiling which seemed to be far out of reach itself. "This place holds the records of nearly all of dragon history." He turned and looked down at Crona making her suddenly feel rather uncomfortable. "And I have you to thank for much of this contribution of knowledge, Crona."

"Wh-what?" Crona nearly choked on her own breath as she jerked back again in surprise. On instinct her lip curled slightly, showing her glistening teeth in the glow of the hourglass. She suddenly felt extremely uncomfortable and she wished she could turn and run; but her body would not move. It felt as if her mind wanted to move but her body did not. "H-how do you know my name?" The white dragoness asked warily.

The elder shifted a bit as he sat on his haunches, but otherwise remained composed before her. "Because, my dear, you are an entity like myself."

"An...entity?" Crona raised a skeptical brow. "W-what are you talking about? What do you mean?"

"You see Crona, chronicler dragons are not common by any means. We are almost as rare as the purple dragons themselves. But one of the characteristics that makes us special is our lifespan. Whereas mortal dragons may live for hundreds of years, we will live for thousands at a time."

Crona felt her joints lock up at this claim. Was what this stranger saying true? What this elder was saying sounded far too extreme for her logic, yet she could not bring herself to disbelieve him. She had already expected to outlive her father but to live longer than the dragons she had grown up with and their offspring and the ones following them was enough to make her head hurt. Crona groaned and rubbed her paw pads against her forehead, trying to stay the throbbing against her skull.

"We are not celestial beings, no," The elder continued. "We are just spirits, beings, sent to collect the knowledge of the world around us so that future generations may learn of their history and avoid the mistakes of the past." He reached up and lightly tapped the crystal dangling from his neck. Immediately it began to glimmer in response to the contact. Crona's eyes widened as she found herself being captivated by the sky-blue aura. She felt herself become disconnected from her body and the discomfort return, even stronger than before. She shut her eyes and shook her head, trying to shake off the dizzying feeling she had just experienced. "This, Crona, is why I had you created."

Crona's eyes snapped open as she stared up at the chronicler dragon. "What? Wh-what do you mean? I was created... by you?"

The old dragon nodded. "Crona, you are a part of me. A fragment of my own soul. As the Chronicler, I am restricted to this palace. So I had you created to assist with gathering information in the field. I needed someone to experience the world first-hand and thus add to the history of our ancestors."

Crona stared hard at the elder who waited patiently for her reaction. What she was hearing were things she would have expected to hear in a dream. But was she really dreaming? As much as his words did not sound real, she felt their truth deep inside. The longer she stared at him the more she felt her attraction towards him. He had her in a place where she could not turn back. Her curious nature had always been her weakness.

"You... you must be mistaken." Crona tried to hide the audible laugh in her voice, but was none too successful. "I admit that I have been through a lot in my life, but nothing like what you've said. This would mean I'd have to be thousands of years old." She gestured to herself with a paw, further emphasizing her point. "And I think we can both agree that isn't the case here. Besides, I'm not an entity as you claim I am. I'm a dragon. I was created by my mother and father. They conceived me, I hatched and therefore I'm just as much of a dragon as they are." She turned back to her mother's book and pointed a small talon at her mother's picture. "See, this is her. She's my mother." She said this more for herself rather than to state what the elder already knew.

The Chronicler glanced at the book and nodded. "Of course you have parents Crona, but they were not your first."

"What?" Crona gave a squeak as her head snapped back up to him. "But that can't be..."

"Let me show you," the old dragon said, cutting her off in mid-sentence. He looked up as an exceptionally large book floated down towards them. Crona watched as he brought it to settle in the air before them, her name engraved in dusty golden metal on the front cover. "Each time your previous body has... expired, your soul has moved on to a new body," The Chronicler explained. Crona noticed the faint crack in his voice but was too shocked to speak. All she could do was watch as the old dragon flipped through the pages of her book. With each death and rebirth that occurred, a new section was separated by a golden divider. WIth each lifetime that passed, she looked the same as she did now. Same body, same eyes, same white spots, and, in her mind, no breath elements. It was like she was watching herself being born into the world and progressively age until the time of her death; over and over and over again.

Crona did not notice that her breathing was speeding up and becoming more forced. "This can't be," she thought to herself. Then out loud, "Th-this can't be happening...Th-this isn't true! I'm not some... spirit... I'm not some spirit!" She screamed, stomping her foot on childish impulse. She felt completely open to the world, exposed more than she ever had been before. "I'm not some stupid spirit!" She hissed, refusing to look the Chronicler in the eyes.

"Crona." The old dragon lay down and crossed his paws in front of him, displaying a calm nature, which seemed to only infuriate Crona as she glared at him out of the corner of her eye. "We chronicler dragons do not possess the ability to use breath elements like other dragons do. I know, from recent events, that you've been trying to find the answer to why you yourself have no elemental attacks." Crona's head jerked as she froze again. Had he just peeked inside her mind? Could this dragon read her thoughts too? If that was the case was she really as he claimed; an entity?

Slowly she turned her head to see the Chronicler had lowered his head to be at her eye level. The young dragoness took a step backwards and turned her head away again, curling her lip in a frustrated snarl. "I... I don't know what you're talking about!" She snorted, forcing herself not to look at him.

The Chronicler gave a low sigh but continued to remain composed. "Have you ever wondered why you felt different than other dragons your age? Why you never find yourself interested in the things they enjoy?" Crona's tail spines perked up slightly but she did not turn to face him. The fact that he knew this made her even more furious. It was like he really was reading her mind as if it were one of his many books. Her eyes lowered to the floor and her talons began to dig into the marble. "The fact that you find this place so familiar, even though you've never been here in this lifetime," the Chronicler glanced back to Crona's book and flipped towards the beginning. "And the fact that you are able to summon the books at your command is further proof of your true identity."

"What a ridiculous explanation!" Crona shouted, whirling around to face the old dragon. "That's just a coincidence and nothing more! It doesn't prove a thing!" Her temper was beginning to show.

"Crona, only chronicler dragons can master time and space in this world." The old dragon was remaining calm which only infuriated her more. In the young dragoness's eyes it was open mockery. "You possess this ability yourself. The proof is inside of you."

"You're lying!" Crona snarled and the magical energy around her gave a violent pulse in response. The flow of magic continued to manifest into its visible form as it swirled around the young dragoness. Crona glared into the Chronicler's eyes and bared her teeth. "You... you bastard!" She hissed. "I'll make you pay for this! I swear it!" The flow of energy grew stronger and the marble beneath her feet cracked, giving way to her furious might. The books rattled on their shelves, several falling to the floor. The old dragon looked around nervously and got to his feet, taking a cautious step backwards.

Seeing the sudden fear in his eyes brought Crona back from the brink of rage. She gave a startled gasp and the energy disappeared from sight. The rumbling subsided as did her temper. Crona soon found herself feeling ashamed and staring at her feet and the cracked marble floor beneath them. "Wh-what am I doing?" She thought to herself, shaking her head as tears gathered around the rims of her eyes. "I'm a monster! A freak!"

The old dragon was about to speak again, seeing that the young dragoness was beginning to calm herself, but Crona could not take any more. She bolted from the chamber, sprinting past the Chronicler and down the hall, as fast as her feet would carry her. She no longer cared that her body was so exhausted; all she wanted was to get away from this place. The more she ran, the more she remembered how long and seemingly endless the corridors were. The white dragoness was running so fast she neglected to slow down as she came to turn around a corner. Crona gave a startled cry as her black talons skidded against the polished stone floor. She stumbled, tripped and landed hard on the cold marble.

For several moments she did not rise. She lay where she had fallen, gasping heavily before slowly picking herself up. Her jaw had taken most of the impact and she could taste the blood from her cut lip. However, this pain was nothing compared to the dagger which had lodged itself into her heart. "I'm not..." She murmured to herself, hanging her head in defeat. Up until now she wanted nothing more than the answers to her questions; but this had been far more than what she had ever asked for or imagined.

The tears began to flow freely from Crona's eyes as she sat sobbing in the middle of the hallway. She wished she had never asked to go on this stupid trip to find the answers she had once longed for. Now this whole encounter would torment her for the rest of her life, and every one after no doubt.

When the sound of footsteps reached Crona's ears, she knew who it was. She did not lift her head to look at the Chronicler as he walked up beside her. Crona grit her teeth, knowing that he was staring hard at her.

"I hate you," she sniffled angrily, wiping her face with the back of her paw. The elder sighed sadly with a sympathetic look on his face. "I'm sorry you feel that way. But you did seek me out for answers."

"If I had known it would have been like this, then I would not have bothered!" Crona snapped.

"If you had known, it wouldn't have changed a thing. I made you who you are out of love, not spite."

Crona turned her head until she could see him out of the corner of her eye. "What do you mean?"

"Crona," the Chronicler lay down beside her and gave another sigh, this time sounding more exhausted himself than anything. "When I created you, it was just after I had become the new Chronicler. During my time as a mortal, I had a family myself. You, Crona...were my only granddaughter." Crona jerked away as her eyes widened again. She was related to this dragon? "You were still very young when I became Chronicler, but I loved you very much. Perhaps too much."

"Explain," Crona ordered, narrowing her fierce blue eyes at him.

"Not long after I had gone, you fell deathly ill. The healers of the time had done everything to help you, but you were too sick. I could not bear to lose you, so just when you were about to pass, I extracted your soul and merged it with mine, thus giving you eternal life in a sense." The old dragon looked at his paws and sighed again. He really seemed to be aware of the damage he had caused by his past actions. "I realize now that I may have been hurting you rather than helping you. But I did not wish to lose my only granddaughter. I meant well by using my powers, but perhaps it was a mistake on my part to interfere with the laws of nature. You are what you are. I can't change the past."

Crona was silent for a long time as she took all this new information in. It was tough to learn that a complete stranger had done this to her, but now that she knew the two of them were related, made the news even harder to digest. "So what am I supposed to do?" She growled, turning away again, trying to hide her anger. "Am I supposed to just live my life as if nothing about me is different? I've been this way my whole life, but you've just made it worse!" Crona's voice hit a high pitch, and echoed down the long halls.

The Chronicler sighed and shook his head. "Young Crona, it's not what you are in life that makes a difference." He rested a large paw on her head, but Crona was too worn out to do anything about the intrusion. "It's what you do in your life that truly matters."

Crona looked up into his eyes with a look of confusion on her face. "Wh-what...what are you saying?"

The Chronicler just smiled in response. "I'm saying, Crona, that you are free." The paw that rested upon her head began to glow. Crona gave a soft squeak and stiffened as she felt the Chronicler's ancient power flow through her. She suddenly felt as light as a feather and allowed herself to close her eyes as the tingle spread over her body. After a couple minutes, the elder's energy faded away and he removed his paw from her head. Crona opened her eyes to look up at him then glance down at herself; thankful that she still looked the same. But one thing she noticed was that she now wore a gold breastplate with red markings engraved into it as well as a single, round, green gem in the center of her chest. A bright new crimson cape settled against her back, warming her and giving her an apprentice-like appearance. Deep down she liked the way the new gift looked on her, but right now she still was not in the best frame of mind to be worrying about her accessories.

"So what now?" She asked, somewhat incredulously.

The elder cracked a slight smile and lowered his head towards her. "Crona, one day you will become a true Chronicler. But until that day comes, you are free to live out your days as you see fit."

Crona lowered her gaze again. She could not deny that hearing this made her feel somewhat better, but the idea of being a Chronicler like him was still unsettling. The promise of having such a vast library open to her was certainly an alluring trait. but the thought of outliving the dragons around her by centuries made her stomach churn.

The old dragon seemed to sense this still. "One last thing before you go." He extended a single claw, pressing it gently against her forehead. "No chronicler dragon, let alone granddaughter of mine, should be without their active power to control time."

"The power to what?" Crona gasped, but the sudden surge of magic turned her voice to an almost inaudible whisper. A slight pressure formed inside her head as she felt his thoughts transfer to her. She felt his true power deep down inside him, his wisdom now filling her mind and coursing through her veins.

When he finally broke contact, Crona felt a sense of vertigo sweep over her and she staggered about like a dazed animal before finally collapsing on her haunches. The Chronicler tried to hide his amusement as she stared up at him, her head bobbling around as if on a stick. "You see Crona, we chroniclers possess the ability to warp time and space. The purple dragons too can manipulate time, but only to a certain extent. We are the natural masters of time and space. That is what makes us so special. If you are to become one someday, you had best learn about it now."

All Crona could do was nod as she got to her feet. Her body felt warm, like her heart and soul were on fire. She no longer felt hungry, physically drained or emotionally fatigued. The knowledge of this new ability astounded, and excited her to the point where she could not wait to begin experimenting with it. At last she had an active power at her disposal. It would take some time to master completely, that was for sure, but she had always been a confident learner.

"I'll be sure to use it well," Crona replied, and bowed slightly. She turned to leave, but stopped after only taking a few steps. She turned and glanced back at the old dragon with a hopeful look in her eyes. It was not intended for her to weasel her way into his conscience, but she hoped it would work nonetheless. "Even though... I'm.. I'm no longer a part of you... c-can I still come here to read...from time to time?"

The Chronicler smiled. "You may. But on one condition." Crona frowned but waited patiently. "You must contribute in some way to the betterment of dragon kind. Is that clear?"

Crona stifled a groan but nodded regardless of her own personal feelings. Nothing was entirely free in this world, and the wisdom of the ages seemed to be no exception.

With one final bow, Crona left the Chronicler where he stood. She traveled back down the halls, and emerged into the daylight once more, born anew. She took in a deep breath and sighed as the blue mist exhaled around her. A new sense of determination had swelled up inside her. She would continue her quest to help Spyro, in any way she could. And she would use this new power to do it.

"For the sake of peace."

Crona finished her story and stared up at Certo. The black dragon's eyes were wide and his jaw hung open in awe. The story of Crona's life, from her days as a hatchling to the present, had left him feeling rather numb.

For a long time, neither dragon said a word. Crona began to feel even more uncomfortable the longer the silence went on. When she could not take the tension any more she spoke.

"Well, do you have anything to say?" She was trying to hide her irritation, but Certo picked up on it right away.

"I just..." he shook his head, bringing himself out of his trance-like state. He had been sitting still, listening extremely intently as Crona told him the story of her past. Now that she was done, he felt as if he were waking from a dream. "I don't know what to say really... At least anything beyond, wow."

Crona bobbed her head respectfully. This was the reaction she had expected and she was glad she knew Certo well enough to gauge his reaction. "Does this answer a lot of questions you had for me?" She asked meekly, averting her eyes to stare at his scarred chest. For some reason she could no longer bring herself to look into his eyes. She began to feel naked and ashamed, exposed for what she really was, like she had been all those years ago. But this time it was to someone who was mortal, a dragon who lived to die and nothing more; someone Crona would most likely never see again.

Certo's muzzle scrunched up as he thought about her question. She had, in fact, answered most of his questions, but at the same time brought several more to the surface. "So how does this time control ability work?" He asked curiously, staring at Crona's paws, remembering how she first learned of her abilities.

Crona was thrown off for a moment by his question; it had not been one she was expecting. She expected one more along the lines of what it was like to be what she was; an undying spirit who would continue to live until the end of time. But nonetheless, she paused to scratch her cheek sheepishly as she thought of an answer.

She had always kept this ability secret unless it was necessary to expose it. She had done so several times in front of Certo, but she had not taken the time to think of a proper explanation of how it worked. She only imagined him shunning her away, knowing that his view of her was nothing but a facade. And that fear still clung to her heart.

"Well, it takes lots of discipline and patience for one," She started. "Your mind has to be alert but still calm. I've trained myself to automatically use my time control when startled or ambushed."

"Sort of like a natural reaction."

Crona nodded. "Yes. I can make time slow down, stop and even move forward, or in my case, back in time." She brought her eyes up to meet Certo's. "That's how I got here."

"I see," Certo nodded, tapping his tail blade against a root of the tree they were sitting under. "That explains how you know so much about the apes and this supposed war that's going to keep going on."

"For at least a thousand years." Crona nodded sadly.

"Can you stop this war from happening?" Certo asked shifting anxiously. More questions were building up inside him but he could see the saddened look on the white dragoness's face. She had really gone out on a limb to tell him her greatest secret.

Crona shook her head. "I tried. But..." She thought about Sin confronting her in the library. "But I can't change the past. Not when it would not have been for the better."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean that the war started when Neros first attacked the city. You remember, just after you had blown up the academy."

"How could I forget? No one lets me," Certo growled to himself, but nodded and continued to listen.

"This war has to happen Certo. If dragon kind is to survive, this war has to go on. Otherwise dragons will only continue to live blindly like they were when Volcanus and Tectonica were in power." Her voice cracked and Certo felt a twinge of pain in his heart. "It has to happen for the better of all dragons everywhere."

Certo stared at her for a tense moment as he studied her expression. Crona was trembling all over. "You tried to change things didn't you?" Crona sniffed and wiped a tear from her eye before turning away. Certo sighed to himself and a warm breeze blew across the hills. He moved closer to Crona and draped a wing around her shoulders; something he knew he was not comfortable doing and almost certain she was not comfortable having done to her; yet he could not bring himself to leave her uncomforted at this moment. Crona jerked slightly when she felt the warm membrane of his wing brush against her skin. It was a completely unexpected gesture, especially from Certo. "I'm sorry about your mom. And Arcadia. I wish they didn't have to... you know."

Crona felt more tears coming but she didn't care. She nodded, and looked Certo in the eye again, her own baby blues glossy with tears. "Thank you for the condolences. It's not easy knowing that you could change something that happened but not be able to."

"I know the feeling," Certo muttered.

Crona cocked her head curiously at him. "How?"

Certo turned to look out over the hills and dug his claws into the soft earth. "Every day, I wake up, and I wish with all my heart that I could go back and fix something so that none of this would have happened. None of this death, pain, loss, the constant fighting. It's unnecessary."

"I know." Crona nodded. "I don't like it either. But I've been living with this knowledge since we found you. Most of the time I can push it to the back of my mind and focus on what's important."

The black dragon turned to look at her again. "And that would be..."

Crona paused as she considered her next words. After looking at Certo's scarred face she sighed. "Making sure you have a friend. And besides, someone had to teach how to use that power of yours and document it."

Certo jolted slightly, but rolled his eyes. "You didn't have to."

"No," Crona said with a faint smile. "But I wanted to. I wanted to be..." Her voice trailed off for a couple seconds.

"Wanted to be what?" Certo leaned in curious to what she was going to say, but Crona only shook her head.

"Never mind. Don't worry about it."

Certo studied her face as she averted her gaze. Her cheeks were slightly flushed, but for what reason he could not tell.

As Crona sat under his wing she found herself glancing at him out of the corner of her eye. She wanted to ask him one question, but it would take every ounce of strength in her to get it to the surface. What would he respond with when she asked? What would their relationship be after this day? What would happen to Certo after she went home? No doubt he would not live long enough to see the war come to an end; and that thought saddened her deeply. The beginnings of a thousand years of fighting and millions of lives lost were etched across the hide of this dragon she knew so personally. In a way, when she would eventually have to leave, it would be like losing Arcadia again. "I thought that being your friend and helping you through this tough time in your life was all that mattered," Crona thought to herself. "But now, I'm not so sure what the future holds. I took a risk and let you in on my secret, because I felt you deserved to know considering that you and I are a team." She paused in the middle of her thought process and looked at her paws and fidgeted them nervously. If she and Certo were a team, then she was certain that he trusted her. And if he could trust her, then she could trust him for an honest answer.

With a deep breath being drawn in, Crona pushed Certo's wing away, exposing herself to him once more. "Certo, where do we go from here?"

"What do you mean?" The black dragon asked, confused by her question but not entirely surprised at being pushed away. "I was hoping since you're the smart one who knows how this war ends, you could tell me and I would do the rest."

"That not what I mean." Crona shook her head. "I'm talking about you and me. Where do we go from here?"

Certo shook his head. "I... I don't follow you. What are you talking about?"

"I'm talking about me, Certo! Us!" Crona exclaimed in a sudden frustrated outburst. "I know that you now understand what has been going on, but what do you think of it all? What do you think of me now?"

Certo narrowed his eyes at the white dragoness and curled his lip slightly. He felt as if he was being verbally assaulted and his first instinct was to defend himself. "What are you babbling about? Think of you? What do you want me to think of you?"

"I want you to say what you think of me!" Crona snapped, pressing her snout to his. "Tell me right now! What do you think of me? Now that you know who I really am... what I really am... Tell me!"

Certo leaned away from her, stunned that she would even ask him such a question. It was not like Crona to dwell on the opinions of others when they involved her, but the situation here was different. He could tell the emotional scars of her own past ran deep and were still healing to this day. But what was he supposed to say? That his opinion of her had changed? If he said that he would be lying to the one dragon who had been by his side for months now, without wavering in her decision. Certo shook his head, removing those thoughts from his mind; he could not bring himself to say something so terrible to her. "I don't know what to say, Crona," he murmured, turning away from her. "I don't know if you want me to say that things are different now between us or not."

"Then tell me what you want!" Crona begged, leaning closer to him. "I want to hear what you think about me now that I've told you everything."

Certo was silent for a moment. After he let out an exasperated sigh, he turned to look her in the eye again. "I don't think anything different. I have a better understanding of who you are, but my views of you have not changed."

Crona felt her heart twist inside her chest. Was he just saying this? He seemed sincere enough. But how? "How is that possible?" She whimpered turning away from him. "You know my darkest secret. You know that I'm not really a dragon. I'm just a fragment. An entity. A spirit inside a body. I'm a freak. I always have been. Always will be."

"Oh don't you dare start that routine!" Certo snarled. "For one, that's what I do. Secondly, you're not a freak."

"I am too!"

"No, you're not!" Certo's tail flicked angrily and his barbed blade stuck into the tree root. He pulled it free and brought it up to gently press against Crona's opposite cheek. Feeling the cold mercury, forced Crona to turn her head until she was staring into Certo's eyes. She shook her head as tears continued to well up around the rims of her eyes.

"I'm not a dragon Certo. I'm just a spirit."

The black dragon shook his head. "You're more than just a spirit. You're Crona. You may not be the exact definition of a dragon, but I have always viewed you as one. And I still view you as one. Because that's all I know of you. But now I know you're a dragon unlike any I'll ever meet in my life."

"How can you say that, let alone continue to think that?" Crona mumbled.

Certo shrugged. "Because it takes too much effort to worry about it otherwise. Like your grandfather said; It's not what you are in life but what you do in it that matters. You've been fighting this fight since you were just a hatchling. You've bested the odds and come this far with and without knowing who you really are." Certo shook his head as his mouth fell open. "You're incredible, Crona. I can't think of anything else to call you other than that."

Crona felt her mouth open as she stared into the black dragon's almost hypnotic eyes. He was a jerk, that was true much of the time. He was stubborn, always. Was he a good friend? He could be better. Did he have a strong heart? Definitely. But this sense of wisdom was something she had ever seen in him before. It almost made him glow in the mid-afternoon sun.

The two continued to stare at one another, not knowing what else to say. But the longer they stared, the more they found themselves growing tired. Their eyelids began to droop and their mouths continued to hang open.

Neither realized how close they were getting to one another. Crona's hips were pressed up against Certo's warm thighs and their folded wings brushed up against the other's. Both dragons seemed to be in a trance as they leaned in closer towards each other, at almost a snail's pace. Centimeter by centimeter, their faces drew closer. Both dragons swallowed and their tongues quivered almost eagerly. Their mouths were wet in anticipation, and their jaws opened wider, subtly inviting the other to move forward.

Down the hill at the edge of the forest, Terra and Amp crouched down in the underbrush, their eyes wild with excitement.

"Oh my gosh!" Terra whispered. "I think this is it!"

"They're really going to!" Amp gasped, leaning forward to get a better view of the action. A sudden snap of a twig grabbed their attention. The young couple turned their heads to see a blue dragon standing a few yards away. Amp's eyes grew wide when he recognized him. "Cryus."

The water guardian stood frozen where he was as he watched the two dragons leaning towards one another on the hill. A weight suddenly dropped into his stomach and he dug his claws into leaves and soil beneath him. Cryus turned and fled from the scene and Amp leaped to his feet.

"Wait!" He called out.

"Amp!" Terra snapped, trying to silence him, but it was too late.

The noise alerted Certo and Crona who were only an inch away from each other. Their heads snapped around to see the yellow guardian's head poking out of the bushes and looking off into the woods before Terra's head appeared beside him.

"Aw damn it," Crona cursed under her breath. "I forgot they were following me." Certo glanced from the younger couple to Crona and the two suddenly realized how close they were sitting; that they were touching almost intimately. They jerked away from one another and averted their eyes, their cheeks feeling as if they were on fire. After a few minutes of silence between them, Certo and Crona finally dared to look the other in the eye. Neither could believe what had almost happened, but even more so they wondered what the other was thinking.

"It must have just been a spur of the moment," Crona thought to herself, as she shied away from Certo's gaze.

"It was just the atmosphere," Certo thought to himself, staring at Crona's chest, not wanting to lock eyes again. "She was just under a lot of stress, that's all." When the two were finally able to look each other in the eye again, they both managed to force a subtle hint of a smile. "I guess we should be going?"

"I suppose it would be a good idea." Crona nodded. She could see Terra scolding Amp for blowing their cover. Certo sighed, letting a slight breeze blow towards the young couple at the bottom of the hill. The two stopped what they were doing and turned to see Certo spring into the air with Crona right behind him.

"Hey, wait for us!" Terra called after them before they could disappear over the treetops.

"Should we wait for them?" Certo asked, a hint of evil in his voice.

"I suppose we should. Amp may need help still."

Certo shrugged and for a brief second, Crona saw a dragon no longer burdened by the troubles of the world around him. In that one instant, she could see Certo for who he really was, what he really wanted to be: happy.

As they hovered over the treetops, waiting for Terra to help Amp get airborne, Crona moved closer to the black dragon.

"Thank you, Certo."

"You're welcome. And thank you as well."

The black dragon stared at her for a second before nodding in his usual serious manner. The once happy dragon had taken cover beneath the cold hard exterior she had come so used to seeing. But as he turned away, Crona could feel a greater sense of hope swelling up inside her.

"There may be hope after all," She thought to herself. "Just maybe."


	32. Chapter 32

Certo roused from his sleep early. It was barely light out but enough to see that the sun would be rising in less than an hour. Beside him Crona slept soundly in their nest of blankets and pillows. The wind chill had been colder than usual, thus forcing the two to retire to the main chamber of Nitrus and Thundra's home. Here they gathered more pillows and blankets for extra warmth before bedding down for the night. Certo shuddered as he rose up out of the blankets. The chill made his wings ruffle on reflex, causing Crona to stir in her sleep. The black dragon froze as she murmured and grunted, before cracking one eyelid open.

"Damn it," Certo cursed to himself.

Crona raised her head and stared at him sleepily. "Certo? What are you doing up this early? It's barely even light out."

"I know," he sighed, irritated that he had not been able to sneak away. "I was just going to go out for a bit. Nothing major."

"Oh," Crona blinked curiously, trying to reach his offset expression. "Would you care if I joined you?"

Certo's muzzle scrunched into a frown. He preferred to be alone, but on reaction he replied, "No."

"Alright." Crona yawned and stretched herself out, popping her vertebrae from her neck down to her tail. She shuddered as well when she felt the chill in the room. She would have ducked back under the covers but the idea of a brisk morning walk sounded more inviting to her. "Ready," she whispered, keeping her voice low so as to not wake anyone else in the house. The two crept out onto the balcony, and paused to watch their breath rise in wisps into the morning air.

Certo was the first to dive over the railing and glide down to the streets below. Crona followed and the two began their walk up the hill. The city was quiet except for the occasional clinking of armor as they passed by the patrolling sentries. They nodded respectfully to them, smiling to themselves at the sight of what they perceived to be a young couple, taking time to enjoy one another's company. Crona and Certo both felt their eyes on them and did their best to refrain from blushing and staring at one another.

As they walked, their minds flashed back to the previous day. Since they had returned to the city, neither had really spoken much to the other; just catching the other making the occasional side glance only to turn away sheepishly or pretending to be occupied in another matter. Neither could believe what had nearly happened between them. Neither was willing to bring it up, thus making them try harder to forget about the intimate moment.

Certo looked down at Crona as they continued up the hill and passed the library where several guards stood watch around the building. He had not noticed how smooth and pure her skin looked until now. The grey spots that peppered her body provided a contrast that made her look extra cute, as if they were sunspots.

Crona watched the ground beneath her feet pass by as she made side glances at Certo's body, being sure to look past him in case he should turn in her direction. It hurt her to see the scars across his hide, but at the same time she was filled with admiration that he was still a male in prime condition. "His endurance certainly is one of his more redeeming traits," She muttered to herself. His muscles were lean and toned, but not enough to be as bulky and massive as most males she had seen. Perhaps in another lifetime, she would have considered him handsome if she were remotely interested in boys. But Certo was nothing like her own idea of an ideal male dragon. She had been over this before with herself as well as the other dragons when claiming that they made a cute couple.

"What a load of crap," Crona muttered, not realizing she had spoken aloud.

"What?" Certo turned, being jolted out of his own thought trance.

"N-nothing." Crona quickly responded, shaking her head. "Out of curiosity, what made you want to take a walk? Something on your mind?"

Certo was silent for a while as he thought about her question. "I don't know. It was kind of on impulse really. I guess I just needed to get out and think for a bit."

Crona suddenly became worried and her heart twisted inside her chest. "Is something on your mind?"

The black dragon only continued to walk in silence. Crona followed alongside him until they reached the gardens in the upper levels of the city. Certo walked over to the koi pond and sat down beside it, staring down at the fish as they lapped at the surface of the water. Beside him, Crona was feeling more and more anxious. Was he thinking about what she had told him the previous day? And if so was he reconsidering what he had said to her?

Her thoughts were broken when Certo let out an exasperated sigh and pressed a paw against his forehead. "I've been trying to wrap my mind around what you told me yesterday. Perhaps I need more time to think about it, I don't know. But after what you said about this war, there's already no way to stop it until a thousand years pass." He set his paw down and turned to look at her. She was standing a couple yards away from him, fearing what he might say. "What I'm asking is, what do we do now? What do I do now?" Certo hung his head as looked back down at the water's surface. "All this time I've been blindly going on about trying to kill my brother without thinking about what it might mean for the future."

"You couldn't have known that, Certo," Crona said, finally feeling bold enough to walk over and sit down beside him. "To tell you the truth, even I don't know. But perhaps it would be best if we left that idea to a later time. At least until I can think of an answer."

"Could you do that?" Certo turned and looked her in the eyes. By now the sun was starting to rise over the city, its rays warming their bodies with its energy.

"I could try." Crona nodded.

"Thanks." Certo bobbed his head but continued to stare at her. Crona cocked her head sideways and tried to read his expression.

"Something wrong?"

"What about you? When will you go back home? I'm sure your dad is worried about you."

"I know." Crona sighed, staring at the flowers in front of her paws. "Honestly, I don't know how to get home. I got here by accident. I admit that I should have been trying harder to find my way home but..." she shook her head. "Everything just started happening so fast that I completely lost track of what is really happening."

"You mean because of me?"

"Because of everything, Certo. Everything has been going on and I have no way to stop it. I have to make sure certain things happen so that I can return to the same world I left behind."

"I see," Certo muttered, turning away to ponder his own ideas for several minutes. After some time had passed in silence, he turned back to her. "What do you say we make a deal?"

"A deal?" Crona raised a skeptical brow, curious as to what he was getting at.

The black dragon nodded. "I'll help you get home if you can help me master Karma."

"But... you did that on your own," Crona stammered.

Certo shook his head. "No, I did it with your help. So therefore your end of the deal is already done. That just means I have to fulfill my end and we're even."

Crona sat speechless, staring at him for a long time. After a minute she gave a mild chuckle. "Have I told you how much of a dunce you are?"

Even Certo had to give a slight smirk at that. "Not in a long time, believe it or not. I guess you're getting tired of pointing out every flaw of mine."

"Never." Crona giggled. "But it's sweet of you to offer."

"No I mean it," Certo said, leaning towards her more, locking his eyes with hers. "I want to help you out, and I won't take no for an answer."

Crona found herself feeling slightly awkward from his sudden eager attitude. She could see that he was being sincere so she straightened up and composed herself as properly as she could. "Very well then Certo. You may aid me in my quest to return home."

"Thank you," He replied, forcing a toothy grin to spread across his muzzle. "If there's anything you need at all, just ask and I'll do whatever I can to help you."

"That I shall." Crona chuckled.

Certo released a breath he looked like he was holding in. "I suppose we should be thankful that Neros doesn't know any of this. Otherwise it would make things a lot more difficult for us."

The smile disappeared from Crona's face and she turned to look at the koi in the pond. She had not forgotten about the fact that she had exposed herself to Neros as well. But now, after telling Certo everything she had, she was keeping something else from him. The idea made her sick to her stomach and at the same time made her deeply disgusted in herself. This was not a little issue and it would definitely affect Certo when he found out, one way or the other. However, the question that lingered in Crona's mind was: should she be the one to tell Certo, or would it be Neros? If Neros mentioned that he knew Crona's secret, Certo would most likely deny it. But if she told him, he may react in a way that would cause him to lose control again and do something irrational.

Certo could see Crona was thinking hard and fighting with herself in her mind. Her brow was knitted tight as she pondered what to do.

"Hey, are you alright?"

Crona's mouth scrunched up as she went through the final argument with herself. She could not face Certo if she did not tell him herself. If she were to consider herself a friend of his, she would have to lay herself out to him and tell him everything.

"Certo..." Crona whimpered, her voice cracking under the pressure she was placing on herself. "I... I..." She couldn't face him. She turned her head, feeling even more ashamed of herself.

"Crona what is it?" Certo asked, leaning his long neck forward, trying to get her to look at him. "What's wrong?" Crona dug her claws into the ground but did not respond. "You can tell me anything."

Crona turned her head until she found herself staring into his crimson eye. Did he really just mean that? Crona straightened up and took in a deep breath. There was only one way to find out.

The forest was quiet except for the steady breathing of the black dragon. The wind was hardly noticeable as it brushed through the treetops; their leaves shuddering in response to the chill.

Neros sat patiently concentrating on the world around him. The sun was rising, making his sight disappear again for the day. As the rays of light fell upon him, he refrained from squinting; he never used his eyesight anyways so what would it matter if his sight was any worse? In his mind, feeling was the superior sense. He could hear and sense every cluster of grass that moved as his breathing increased in frequency. This was his special skill; reading the wind and controlling its flow. It was also a technique he had taught his twin; an act he regretted, knowing that Certo had been able to use it to slip in close without being detected.

The mere thoughts of his brother made the albino dragon curl his lip. A spark of purple lightning leaped out from his body. The bolt reared up like a cobra staring down an enemy, before striking the nearest tree, petrifying it on the spot. Another arc shot out from his body and stabbed the tree next to the first. One by one, bolts of convexity turned the trees to stone until all the trees in a close circumference were grey and lifeless. The albino dragon sensed a figure approaching and the fowl stench of the ape reached his nostrils. A sneer passed over Neros's mouth and his shoulder twitched, sending out another arc in the ape's direction. The baboon froze as the bolt narrowly missed his cheek and struck a fly which had been buzzing around him.

As the insect fell to the ground, Neros rose to his feet and turned to face the trembling ape. It tickled him inside to see these creatures tremble in fear before him.

The baboon quickly gathered what was left of his composure and dropped to one knee. "Master..."

"I'm assuming there is something to report?" Neros interrupted, as he recognized the raspy voice of the ape. He was very acute in distinguishing the apes according to their voices.

"Y-yes Master. Our scout master has requested your presence immediately."

Neros tilted his head to the side as this request sparked his curiosity. What could possibly be going on that required his immediate presence? "Very well then." Neros nodded. "Point me in the direction which they have gone and you may take your leave."

"Master?" The ape's eyes widened in surprise.

"Take something to reward yourself." Neros ordered. "I trust you, as well as the rest of your scout party, know what you are doing."

"Ah, yes Master!" The ape nodded vigorously, getting to his feet and leading Neros back through the village before emerging on the northwest side. "Follow that direction Master. Your next contact will be six howls beyond the edge of our territory."

Neros nodded, understanding the ape's method of measuring distance. Even being able to fly it would be some time before he reached the first contact; approximately twelve miles if not a little more. The black dragon spread his wings and prepared to take off. With a powerful leap and beat of his wings he was up and over the trees, leaving the ape to wave the dust and floating leaves out of his face. When he opened his eyes and was able to stop sneezing he turned back to the village. He had just been given the biggest compliment any of the apes had ever gotten from the black dragon for a job well done. All he had to do now was decide what he would treat himself to.

"You did what!" Certo's voice thundered across the city, waking several households in the process. The sudden force of his voice nearly knocked Crona to the ground. She stumbled back, tucking her wings to her side in fright.

Certo was on his feet in an instant, his eyes wide with anger and his teeth clenched furiously. "How could you tell him? What was going through your head Crona? What force made you do such a stupid thing?"

"I'm sorry Certo!" Crona tried to apologize, getting to her feet to stand up to him. "It was a spur of the moment thing. I was just trying to get him to listen to reason. I was just trying to get him to stop what he was doing and... I... I just... I thought by telling him that he would realize he's not alone. That he was not the only one suffering because he was different."

"I already told you he wouldn't listen to reason! Why in the world would you do something so idiotic?"

"Because it was..." Crona was trying to explain herself as quickly and efficiently as possible but Certo's temper had the questions flying at her faster than she had expected. "I was trying to solve the problem without having to fight. I've seen and done enough fighting in my life. I didn't want to have any more without cause."

"You are such an idiot, Crona!" Certo shook his head, sending a strong gust over the surface of the koi pond beside him. The fish scattered into the deeper end where they took refuge in the shadows. "Didn't you think about what would happen if you told him your secret? You're supposed to be the smart and understanding one here! What did you think he would do when he learned that you aren't from our time and could travel to the future?"

"I...I...I don't know!" Crona shook her head, realizing even more how foolish she had been. "I was just trying to stop this war from happening. I didn't think about what he would do because I didn't know him myself then."

"You couldn't have taken my word for it? Trusted me that I know my brother better than the entire world put together? Thanks a lot!"

"Certo, I'm sorry!" Crona exclaimed. "I apologized for that already."

"But it's not just that!" Certo snapped. He was now so agitated, he could not stand to be still. He began pacing in a way that reminded Crona of when Neros had done the same during their first encounter. She began to feel the cold grip of fear grasp her heart and she stepped back on instinct. Certo was not one to outright harm anyone, but when he was upset, his thought processing dwindled down to almost nothing.

"The fact that he's known all this time and I haven't!" Certo continued to rant as he paced furiously in front of Crona. "It... it's not fair! It's wrong!"

"I know it was wrong!" Crona protested. "I didn't like keeping this secret from you but I didn't know how to tell you."

Certo stopped and fixed her with a heated glare. "You didn't know how to tell me? Is that really true? Or was it that you didn't want to tell me. That you don't really care about what I've been going through for the last several months of my life?"

"That's not true!" Crona snapped. "Of course I care!"

"Do you?" Certo snarled, walking closer until his snout was pressing against hers. "Because to me it seems more like you didn't trust me enough to mention it then! You waited over two months before telling me! And in the meantime look at what's been going on around us!" He thrust a wing out to the side, sending a sharp gust through the gardens, blowing several potted plants over in the process. "Dragons have been dying all around us! Families have been torn apart and the dragons of this city are almost always terrified of another attack! You've seen for yourself what Volcanus and his group have tried to do because of all this!"

"I know Certo, but..."

"But nothing Crona!" Certo snorted, another gust hitting her and knocking her back. "If you had told me before, maybe we would have been able to do something about it. Who knows, by now you may have even been able to get home! But you didn't say anything and now the lives of all of those dragons who have died while Neros was trying to get at you are on your head!"

"I'm sorry!" Crona sobbed, suddenly bursting into tears. "You don't know how hard it is for me, knowing that your brother has been trying to capture me and doing everything in his power to do so!"

"And what makes you think I believe you anymore?" Certo growled. Crona's eyes widened and she looked up at him in dismay. "Everything that's happened to everyone has been because of you. Sabre being captured and her family being killed. Amp being wounded and their family being put in constant danger! Captain Cytros and his guards being wounded or killed, just to defend you for something you didn't take the time of day to think about!" Certo couldn't stand to look at her anymore and turned away to pace about the gardens. "Everything that's happened to this city, everything that's happened to me! It's all been your fault!"

"That's a crock pot of shit, Certo, and you know it!" Crona hissed, suddenly going on the defensive.

"Is it? Then why have I been blindly following you, only to witness more death all around me! I nearly died myself because of what you claimed you could teach me!"

"Are you really going to pull that?" Crona leered at the black dragon through her tears. "I said I was sorry for that but it was not entirely my fault for what happened."

"Because of you, Neros found out and used it! It stems back to you Crona, and you know it!"

He was right; Crona could not deny that. "But...I... Certo..."

Certo only turned away from her in disgust. "Crona, just stop. You've done enough to help me. Maybe you should just go back to your own time. I'll deal with this war myself."

The white dragoness felt a dagger stab her in the heart. "Y-you don't seriously mean that, do you?"

"Do I look serious enough to you?" He growled, looking back at her with his bad eye.

"Certo, we need to work together here! I know I did wrong, but I've been trying to make up for it! I don't like this war any more than you do!"

"You've got a funny way of showing it."

"Certo, I..." She walked over to him and placed a paw on his shoulder. "I want to..."

"Shut up Crona!" The black dragon snarled, slapping her paw away and whirling on her in a flurry of leaves and flower petals. "I don't want to hear another word out of your mouth ever again! You and I are done being so-called friends! I trusted you and you stabbed me in the back! Twice! If you want to help with this war, you're on your own!"

"So that's it?" Crona squeaked, trying to hold back her tears. "You're just going to blindly fight without any idea what you're fighting for?"

"I've been fighting blindly ever since I started listening to you," Certo growled, the sound resonating in his throat.

A sudden slap of talons struck Certo across the face. The black dragon snarled and pounced on Crona, The dragoness hissed furiously and slashed at him again, but Certo knocked her paw away and stomped on her chest. Crona kicked as hard as she could, slashing Certo's thighs. This only seemed to make the black dragon madder and he dropped his elbow into her stomach, knocking the wind out of her. Crona gasped in shock and sucked in as much oxygen as she could. At the same moment she drew in a breath of blue mist before expelling the magic out in a short burst, knocking Certo off of her. The black dragon tumbled backwards before rolling to his feet. He beat his wings once, sending a powerful gust at Crona, knocking her off her feet and sending her splashing into the koi pond.

The garden suddenly fell silent. A moment later, Crona burst from beneath the water's surface, gasping and sputtering. She stood up, the water up to her elbows and knees, dripping wet, covered in algae, reeds and lilies. Certo watched with a killing eye as she hauled herself out of the pond and trudged a few steps away. She hung her head in defeat and her sides convulsed as she tried to hold back her tears, not wanting to appear weak in front of the black dragon. After a moment she turned and looked at him with a heated glare. "I hate you." She mouthed, not caring if he heard her or not.

"The feeling is mutual!" Certo spat, just missing her with a glob of saliva.

Crona couldn't take it anymore. She turned away bawling and ran away from the dragon she had grown so close to. She hated him, that much she had said. But even more, she hated herself. She wished she was home; away from this place where the world was crumbling apart all around her. She really was a hypocrite. She always reprimanded him for not being open with others, but she had done just the same to him. She had ruined their friendship. It was her fault! He deserved to be mad at her. Hating her was the least he should have been allowed to do.

The dragoness was so blinded by her tears and thoughts that she did not notice the dragon coming up the hill towards her. Cryus was trudging along, deep in his own mournful thoughts, with his head hung low to the ground. He did not hear or notice the bawling dragoness until she plowed right into him. The water guardian snarled on reflex, as the two tumbled over one another. Crona grabbed him and rolled hard, pinning him to the ground before stopping to look at him clearly. For a long moment, neither dragon said a word. Crona could only stare with wide eyes as the tears continued to flow down her cheeks.

"C-Crona? Wh-what..." Cryus was having trouble speaking himself. He could barely look at her as he remembered what he had seen the previous day. Thinking about the black dragon he despised, made him furious. Seeing Crona in such a frantic state made him realize what must have happened between the two. He gritted his teeth and brought his front paws up to rest on Crona's hips. "What happened? Did Certo do something to you?"

Crona couldn't answer. She continued to sob as she tried to pull away, but Cryus held onto her.

"Crona, tell me! Did Certo do something to you!"

"Let go of me!" Crona wailed, trying to push the water dragon away.

"Tell me what happened!" Cryus ordered; the anger in his voice made Crona think of the black dragon even more.

"I can't!" Crona bawled, shoving the blue dragon back onto the ground. "I just want to go home!" She turned and bolted down the street before taking to the air and flying off to the west.

Cryus lay dumbfounded in the street as he watched her go. After the initial shock wore off he got to his feet. He had never seen the white dragoness so out of control before. The sound of footsteps reached his ears and he turned to see Certo further up the hill walking out of the gardens with a slight limp. One of his hind legs was bleeding and he wore a scowl on his face. Cryus stared at the black dragon as he glanced down the hill at him then to the dragoness who was flying away as quickly as she could. Certo gave a scornful snort, sending a breeze through the streets, before continuing up the hill towards the ruins of the academy.

Cryus glanced back at Crona, then at Certo, unsure of who to go after first. He hated seeing Crona the way she had just appeared to him, and it filled his heart with hate knowing which dragon had done this to her. After a moment of thought he chose his target and began walking up the hill.

"I think we're lost," Mateo whimpered, finally daring to speak.

"We're not lost!" Titanus snarled as he limped along. His hind leg was still hurting from being stabbed with chunks of broken tree.

The group of dragons had been trudging along endlessly, flying then proceeding on by foot for days. None were particularly able to sleep, in fear of being ambushed again by the terrible apes. However, the fatigue was beginning to take its toll on them. Frisco staggered, tripping over a tree root, nearly falling to the ground as he carried the wounded lightning dragon on his back. The yellow male's breathing was becoming more and more forced as his wounds continued to bleed openly. The ice dragon had been trying to help them by freezing the wounds over, but the bleeding continued internally.

When another cough interrupted the relative silence, Frisco had to stop and set his friend down. "Guys, we need to stop. Arcane isn't doing too well."

"We're not stopping," Titanus growled, not turning to look at his fellow cronies.

"But he's hurt!" Mateo protested. "If we don't let him rest, or get him some help soon, he's going to die."

"That is not my problem!" Titanus snapped, whirling to bring his massive face closer to the ice dragon's.

"You don't care that he's hurt and could die?" Frisco gasped with a look of horror on his face.

"Do I look like I care?" Titanus growled, baring his teeth. "All I care about right now is getting back at those cursed ferals for making me look like a fool!"

"But, Arcane..." Mateo stammered, glancing over his shoulder. "Stagnite, Spitfire, they.. were murdered... and.. you don't care one little bit about that? They meant nothing to you?"

"And to think I didn't have to say it myself," Titanus sneered.

"You really are an asshole!" Frisco growled, lowering Arcane to the ground. The other three dragons glanced at one another before looking at Titanus in utter revulsion.

"What did you just say to me?" Titanus narrowed his eyes at the young fire dragon.

On instinct, Frisco stepped back, nearly tripping over Arcane. "I... I..."

Titanus sneered and snorted in the red dragon's face. "That's what I thought." He turned back around and walked a few steps away before Frisco spoke again.

"I said, you're an asshole!" Frisco stared at his feet, unable to say it directly to the blue fire-breather. "You care only about yourself and what you want. No one else matters." Frisco looked up to see Titanus had stopped but not turned to face him. "Even when we follow your lead, you care nothing about our safety or well-being. I don't know what you plan to do, but I'm not following you anymore. Not one step."

Titanus stood still for a long time, not saying anything. When he finally spoke it was in just as sinister as when he spoke to Neros. "Then stay where you are, you weakling. I don't need the likes of you anyways."

"I'm not the weak one here Titanus. If Certo can outmatch you..." Frisco was abruptly cut off by a heavy tail swing. The blow hit him with full force, knocking him into a tree before crumbling to the ground.

"If any of you ever mention that name around me again, I will kill you next time!" Titanus fumed, losing his temper and stomping the ground. "Consider this a warning!"

Mateo and the three other members glanced nervously at one another then at Frisco who lay almost motionless on the ground. They could see his sides rise and fall with each labored breath, but he was not going to be getting up any time soon; or so they thought.

"Come on!" Titanus ordered Mateo and the others before lumbering on. "Leave this filthy weakling behind. He has no place in our company." As the blue dragon disappeared into the forest, Mateo looked back at Frisco who was struggling to get on his feet. Blood dripped from his nose and eyes, and slash marks from Titanus's tail spikes had been torn into his left side.

"Go on," Frisco groaned. "Leave Arcane with me. I'll look after him. I don't want you guys getting what I just did."

"We're not leaving you," Mateo whispered. "You were right to stand up to him. I... I'm sorry we left you alone there."

Frisco flopped back down on the ground, wheezing heavily. "S-Someone had to say it. He would have gotten us all killed."

"Even still." Mateo shook his head, disappointed in himself. "Let's get you both out of here." He stooped down to force the fire dragon onto his back, supporting him under his crippled limbs. One of the remaining earth dragons gathered Arcane up off the ground, being cautious not to make him too uncomfortable. The lightning dragon only groaned as his mouth hung open. Saliva and blood dripped from his maw onto the dirt and leaves. Mateo sighed, staring back at where they had last seen Titanus disappear into the woods. Mateo turned and headed towards the east.

Neros flew on over the treetops. It had been several hours since he had left the territory of the apes, and he had already checked in with the seven contacts along the way. The scout party had been spreading themselves out thinner and thinner over the past couple days, each being within fifty miles of each other; twenty-five howls in ape measurements. According to the contacts, the dragons had been moving slowly over the past several days, gaining only a short distance by flying. But now they were moving along on foot, unable to muster the strength to fly any longer.

By the time Neros reached his eighth contact, he was beginning to wonder what was so important that he needed to fly out there.

"What do you have to report?" He demanded as he came down to hover over the ape who had been waiting for him to arrive. The baboon was squatting over a fire, chewing on a roasted squirrel. Once he saw the albino dragon drop out of the sky, he dropped his breakfast and stood straight up, wiping the juice from his mouth.

"Master, the forward scouts have reported that the dragons you have wished us to follow have split up."

"When did this happen?"

"Yesterday afternoon, Master. The big blue one is alone, but the wounded smaller ones are attempting to return to their territory."

"And what have you done to them?" Neros asked, narrowing his eyes at the scout.

The ape shook his head. "N-nothing Master. We thought of disposing of them, but eventually decided it would be best if we acted on your order rather than assume you wanted them to be eliminated."

Neros could not help but smile. The apes were becoming far more disciplined now than they had been before. "Good to know you're using your heads more." Neros answered, a subtle hiss in his voice. "I want you to follow after them. If they return to their territory, then we so be it. We will have lost nothing."

"It shall be done Master." The ape bowed deeply before looking back up at the hovering dragon.

"Good." Neros nodded in satisfaction. "Head out after you have finished your breakfast and passed back the word." Before the ape could respond, Neros beat his wings hard, nearly snuffing the fire out as he took off again. The ape picked his breakfast up and dusted the dirt and leaves off before finishing the creature in one gulp. He gave a loud belch before dousing the fire with dirt and grabbing his weapons. After a moment's pause, he leaped into the upper branches of the trees and swung off into the forest.

Neros continued flying at a steady pace. The next ape would be another two hours away if he continued at his current speed. He decided that patience was the key in this situation; he slowed down, barely beating his wings every hundred yards.

As he continued on into the late morning, he sensed a shift in the wind. On reflex, he rolled through the air and turned to the west, his body blazing with purple energy. When nothing moved, he found himself thoroughly perplexed by the sudden phenomena. No one other than his twin could shift the course of the wind like he could; and from what he had seen, his brother was dead, destroyed by his own power.

Neros paused to squint into the distance. He did not know why he bothered when he could barely see ten feet in front of him. Sensing where the disturbance was coming from, he took off in that direction. It was easily a mile off his set course, but the nature of it made him curious. As he drew within a half mile of the source, Neros sensed something fly up from the ground. The albino dragon closed his eyes and concentrated on the creature, sensing its movements through the wind. An evil grin spread across his face and he shot low through the trees, following behind as closely as he could without being spotted.

It was a dragon, and one he recognized.

"Damn it, why isn't this working?" Crona sobbed, striking a nearby tree trunk with her paw. She turned and braced herself, lifting one paw in front of her. She closed her eyes again to try and concentrate on her power over time and the flow of the blue mist around her. But neither were responding to her commands. The dragoness ground her teeth furiously, trying harder to force either of them to come to her. "Come to me!" She shouted in her mind, flexing her talons.

The world grew silent as Crona's time control kicked in. "Finally, some progress." She grumbled, and knit her brows as she concentrated harder. The world seemed to surge with energy as an energy dome began to grow around her. Crona opened her eyes to see a cloud of dark grey and black swirling before her. This was not the time portal she had created the first time. The chill of negative energy frightened her and she swatted the cloud away on instinct. The negative energy mass rocketed away from her before stopping in a cluster of trees. It gave a strong pulse before exploding, turning the trees into piles of splinters and ash.

Crona was horrified at what she had just done. This was the first time she had ever seen her powers do something destructive. The sight even made her nauseated, seeing the trees turned to nothing before her very eyes.

"No, why is this happening?" She cried, falling to the ground, clutching at her head. "I just want to go home! I don't want to be here anymore!"

She closed her eyes and buried her face in her forelimbs to cry again. She had not gone back to the city for nearly two days now. She was tired, cold and hungry, but each time she thought about going back, the vision of the black dragon stopped her in her tracks. Several times she tried convincing herself that he had calmed down, but the pain of his words still stuck deep in her heart. She would not be forgetting them any time soon.

After several minutes she lifted her head and rubbed her eyes. They were depleted of tears and burning. It was still early in the day, but she had barely slept at all that night. She did not feel comfortable sleeping out in these woods where she did not know what creatures may be watching and lurking about. Crona gave a low sigh and gave a forced leap into the air before beating her wings to get above the trees.

Once airborne, she glanced back to the east, in the direction she had come. She wondered if Certo was still mad at her. "What a stupid thing to ask," She muttered. If he was no longer mad at her, then he would have been out here looking for her. "Some friend he is." Crona turned and flew on, grumbling to herself. Why was she still calling him a friend when he clearly did not want anything more to do with her, and vice versa? He had been mad at her before and even then it was still days before he would so much as utter a word to her. Maybe it was still too early for him to have cooled off. Crona paused again to look back in the direction of the city. Should she go back and ride it out as she had done before? It may take longer for the black dragon to level his temper enough to speak to her again, but it was worth a shot if she could make everything right again. The only question that lingered in her mind was: would Certo be willing to patch up what was left of their friendship and start again?

"Probably not, knowing him," Crona spat angrily. She turned and continued flying. "That arrogant prick treats everyone around him like the dirt under his feet. He cares nothing about what we think or feel!" Crona had to stop again as her temper began to take control of her. A sudden surge from the blue mist gathered around her as she summoned a lightning bolt from the magic current. She hurled the bolt at the ground, full force, causing an explosion to burst from the ground, scaring away a flock of birds and scattering the animals on the ground.

The white dragoness panted heavily as her temper subsided and exhaustion started to take over. Why was she wasting her energy on being mad? She had brought this upon herself. She knew this was what would have happened eventually, the longer she kept her secret hidden from him. However, she had not expected Certo to lash out at her the way he had done. She pressed the pads of her front toes against her chest where she had been hit. Despite what he was capable of, Certo had not hit her all that hard. Was he holding back because he did not want to kill her? Or was there another reason?

Crona shook her head. "It's no excuse for hitting a girl!" She fumed, flying on again. Several minutes passed before she came across a branch of the Silver River. Crona banked upstream, following the river to its source. As she skimmed over the water's surface, she quickly ducked her head under the water, taking in a massive gulp of fresh, cool water. The purity of it refreshed her inside and relieved much of the burning in her eyes, but she still needed to find shelter to sleep.

"I guess that I had it coming since I did hit you first," Crona thought to herself. As she continued upstream, Crona found herself drifting off into her thoughts, not noticing she was slowly descending towards the water below. It was not until she got a splash of water in the face that she snapped out of her trance and beat her wings furiously to get back into the air. She cursed to herself, having not been paying attention to what she was doing. Never had she been this distracted by someone else; not even her previous quest to stop the war with Spyro had caused her this much mental distraction. So why was Certo so different? Was it because she had gotten too close to him? Or was it that she had let him get too close to her?

"Who am I kidding?" She almost laughed. "Certo never gets close to anyone." Her thoughts drifted back to three days before when the two of them had been sitting beneath the apple trees together. The black dragon had seemed so much stronger then, more determined, more hopeful for a better future, even if he would not be around to see it. It still pained her to think that after all his suffering, he would not be able to see what happens in the end. But he would not be the only one unable to see the outcome of this war; nor would he be the only one suffering over the next thousand years.

And then there was that moment they shared which caused Crona's cheeks to blaze red against her white skin. She immediately had to shake her head to rid herself of that thought. She did not know why it had nearly happened but she was damned sure that it would never happen again. "Stupid Certo," she muttered to herself.

The sound of rushing water grew louder and Crona lifted her head to see mountains ahead with a waterfall flowing over a cliff side. The mist from the falls sent a chill through Crona's body as she climbed higher towards the cliff ledge. She hovered a moment to look around the area, searching for any signs of danger. When nothing jumped out at her, she set down on the ground and was immediately answered with another violent chill. In a flash, she saw Certo standing before her, surrounded by apes, ready to face off with them. Crona gasped and jolted, blinking in surprise. She glanced around, trying to see if anything in the nearby underbrush was watching her. Standing here gave her the chills and the sudden vision frightened her.

"What was that for?" She pondered silently as she headed towards the trees. She began noticing the denseness of the foliage, meaning that she would be unable to fly if needed. But right now, all she wanted was to sleep. Her fatigue was taking over as she trudged into the thick underbrush. She came to a cluster of bushes that provided her with cover and a decent amount of warmth, so she nestled down under them and rested her head upon her paws. Here she was certain she would be safe from anything passing by on the ground or overhead.

As she drifted off to sleep, a pair of ruby eyes stared at her from several yards away. When she was fast asleep, Neros stepped out from his hiding spot, making sure not to make a sound. He glanced around for several minutes as he recognized the area they were in. "Interesting that you would come here," He thought to himself as he crept towards the dragoness. He sighed, barely rustling the leaves overhead as he leaned down towards her until his snout was nearly touching hers. Crona shifted in her sleep, bumping his nose, but did not rouse from her slumber. Instead a single tear crept out from under her eyelid and rolled down her cheek.

"Certo..." She whimpered softly, an audible crack in her voice.

Neros's eyes widened slightly but then narrowed as a wicked grin spread across his mouth. "Rest well my dear," He thought to himself, giving her a slight tap with his snout. "He's not suffering any more where he's at." He straightened himself up and paced a few steps away, heading deeper into the underbrush. At this moment he was wishing that he had the apes there with him to capture her and bring her back to the village. But for now, he was going to have to improvise and try another method.

He paused and looked over his shoulder. "Once you wake up, you're mine."

As Crona slept, she found her dreams plagued with horrible visions. The memories of the day when she lost her mother came flooding back after months of being suppressed into her subconscious.

"Mother!" The little dragoness screamed as she watched the apes pounce onto the silver-armored dragoness, driving their weapons into her body. A scream caught Crona's attention and she turned to see Arcadia lying on the ground beside her. The little dragoness's body had been torn to pieces, staining the ground with her blood.

"Crona," Arcadia wheezed. The white dragoness jumped, shocked that her best friend was still able to speak at all. "Why?"

"Arcadia?" Crona took a step backwards, horrified that her friend was still alive in her mangled state.

"Why did you do it?"

"Do what?"

"I thought you were my friend."

"I am your friend."

"You're no friend of mine," Arcadia growled, her angry voice growing deeper.

"What?" Crona's eyes widened as Arcadia's body rose off the ground to stand before her. Her once green scales darkened until they were glossy black, and her belly scales a bluish-grey. Her left eye was a royal blue which contrasted with her fierce crimson right eye.

"You let her down like you let me down," Certo snorted, taking a step towards Crona on his broken, mangled leg. The little dragoness stepped backwards in fright at the towering black dragon scowling down at her.

"Th-that's not true! I... I didn't want for any of this to happen!" Crona cried.

"Well our blood will still be on you even when this is all over!" Arcadia's voice snapped, coming from Certo's mouth.

"They're right you know."

Crona turned around to see her mother, Ashe, standing over her. The apes still clung to her armor, stabbing her repeatedly, spilling her blood everywhere; but the fire dragoness did not seem to notice them anymore. "Mother!" Crona screamed, tears filling her horrified eyes.

"You made a promise to help preserve dragon kind. But instead you have only succeeded in tainting it further."

"Mother... I... I didn't mean to!"

"But the fact remains that you did." Certo's voice came again from the mangled corpse behind her. "I didn't mean to turn Neros into the monster that he is today, but the fact is that I did."

"That's not true Certo!" Crona snapped, "You aren't responsible for his actions! You're a good dragon! You have a strong heart! You don't go out of your way to hurt those around you."

"If that were true, then why is it that this world is crumbling apart because of what we are? If we're supposed to be helping then why is there only more pain wherever we go?"

"I... I..." Crona could not find an answer. It was a question she asked herself so often yet had not been able to find an answer to. "I don't know!" She screamed, squeezing her eyes shut and covering her ears with her paws. "I just don't know!"

"Crona," a much softer, gentler voice called out to her. The young dragoness recognized the voice and opened her eyes to find herself in the central chamber of the Chronicler's palace. The young dragoness raised her head to see the old dragon sitting over a book, an ink brush, hovering in front of him. "You shouldn't blame yourself for things beyond your control. We may have the ability to control time, but some things are beyond even our abilities."

"But Certo hates me now because of what I did!" Crona shouted, getting to her feet. She noticed she was no longer a hatchling but back to her adolescent age. "How can I fix that and preserve the future?"

"Crona, you've been seeing it all around you." The old dragon answered calmly. "You know Certo far better than any other dragon around. Even more than Neros. You'll know what to do to fix what is broken." He looked down at his book and flipped a couple pages back before returning to his current page. "Or maybe...it's already been fixed."

"What?" Crona raised a skeptical brow at this. "Fixed? How? By me? When?"

The Chronicler looked up at her with his grey-blue eyes and smiled softly. "Have faith Crona. You have more power than you know. You and Certo both. The future doesn't depend on just you or just him."

"That doesn't answer my question!" Crona shot back. "How are we supposed to fix 'us'?"

"Certo has said it before, my dear. You're a smart dragoness. Use your head."

Before Crona could reply, she began to feel herself being pulled away. She looked down at herself to see that she was somewhat transparent. "Hey! What's going on? What's happening to me?"

"Good luck, young chronicler." The old dragon waved. "You may want to take Certo up on his offer."

"Wait, I'm done yet!" Crona hollered. "I still have questions!"

"May the ancestors watch over you," The Chronicler whispered before disappearing from sight.

Crona's head jolted upright with a startled gasp. "Damn it! She cursed. "I hate getting riddles when I want answers!" She sighed in irritation and looked down at her feet. It was dark out and a chill ran up her spine. There was no wind which made her exceptionally curious as to the sudden chill.

As Crona emerged from her sleeping spot to stretch, she felt her attention turn towards the bushes to her left. Feeling an urge to explore, she walked forward, pushing the bushes aside as best she could until she came to a cave entrance. The stench of ape filth came from inside and Crona curled her lip. The baboons were moving deeper into dragon territory by the day.

Just then a scream echoed from inside the cave. Crona jumped in surprise and braced herself, expecting an attack at any moment. When she realized that the sound came from inside, she charged forward into the darkness. The cave almost instantly climbed upward in a spiral pathway until it opened into a large central chamber. The only light was a handful of half-light torches scattered across the main chamber.

"Star!" A horrified voice cried. Crona turned to see a black dragon rush out of a chamber to her left, a mortified look on his face. The dragon's silhouette was familiar enough in the torchlight, but it was the young male's voice which caught Crona's attention.

"Certo?" She gasped when Certo's older sister called his name. A moment later a large, dark-grey ice dragon barreled out of one of the chambers on the far side of the central cavern.

"What's going on here?" He demanded, nearly getting in Certo's face.

Crona took an instinctive step forward to move next to the black dragon, but stopped when he spoke. "Invaders!" He sobbed. "They killed Mom and Dad!"

"Mom and dad?" Crona narrowed her eyes at her friend as she tried to piece together what was going on.

"They what?" The ice dragon was fully awake now. He turned and looked down at a wounded ape, lying on the ground. Crona watched as Enigma pinned the crippled creature and begin questioning it. After a brief second, Crona crept closer to where Certo stood trembling.

"Certo, what's going on?" She whispered, but the black dragon did not answer. "Certo?" Crona lifted a paw to touch his shoulder but passed right through him. Crona shrieked in surprise, and Certo shuddered, glancing back over his shoulder, looking like he was expecting something to jump out of the darkness at him.

In that one instant, Crona realized what she was seeing. "This is Certo's memory," She murmured privately.

"What's going on out there?" Ebony's voice hollered from the chamber to Crona's right. A moment later the black dragon gave an agonized howl as a blade plunged into his skull.

"Oh no!" Crona gasped, covering her mouth in horror. The sound of Siren's groggy voice reached her ears and then her terrified scream made Crona bolt across the room to the chamber she had seen Enigma come out of. The ice dragon suddenly reared up on his hind legs, snarling and tearing at the ape that had surprised him by latching onto his face. Crona could not bear to watch what was about to happen. "I'm sorry Certo!" She cried in her mind. "I'm sorry you had to experience this. I'm sorry I..."

Her silent apologies were interrupted when she heard a noise inside the chamber. The dim torchlight cast over the figure of a large female dragoness, Star, as she moved away from the far back wall, before pushing a fair-sized rock against the wall.

"Get it off of me!" Enigma shouted furiously, blowing ice into the air. Crona screamed as the particles passed through her, covering the wall in white.

"Enigma!" Star cried, rushing out of their chamber to aid her mate. Crona watched as she cut down the ape that had latched onto the ice dragon's bloody face before looking back at the wall. Slowly she got up and crept closer to the rock Star had moved. However, the closer she got, the darker the room became before everything fell silent.

"Damn it!" She cursed.

Rays of sunlight poked through the underbrush, warming the white dragoness who lay in cover. Crona opened her eyes and blinked several times before yawning. She propped herself up and rubbed the sleep from her eyes, listening to the thunder of the falls nearby. She hated bad sleep, but she hated bad sleep with bad dreams even more.

The white dragoness emerged from her cover and stretched, popping the vertebrae from the base of her neck to the tip of her tail. She felt refreshed, surprisingly enough, and looked around trying to remember exactly where she was. In a flash she remembered where she was and her eyes widened. "Certo's home!" She gasped.

Crona pushed into the underbrush, snapping twigs, and shoving overgrown branches away with little regard to them poking and scraping her hide. It did not take long for her to find the cave entrance she had seen in her dream. Carefully, she crept up to it, sniffing the air to see if any apes lurked about inside. She did not smell any apes, but death hung heavy in the air; even after so many months had passed. It was a scent Crona knew all too well. It was an odor that once you got a whiff of it, it would stay with you forever.

Cautiously she entered into the darkness. Almost immediately she felt the same chill as she had in her dream. Not wanting to experience any surprises, Crona closed her eyes and concentrated. The blue mist was here but it did not flow in the overabundance as it seemed to do everywhere else. Crona sucked in a deep breath of the magical energy and continued deeper into the abandoned cave. As she neared the central chamber she began to hear noise; the sound of crying. The white dragoness crouched low to the ground and proceeded forward until she was in the center of the main cavern. She could see skid marks in the thin layer of dirt and the hundreds of foot prints left by the apes as they dragged the enormous dragons from their home to be butchered.

As Crona lifted her head to focus on the source of the crying, she spotted Star's resting chamber to the left. She walked past it, making a mental note to herself to not forget what she had come here to do. Crona crept up another passageway towards the front of the cave. She could feel a cold breeze coming from the outside, and she tucked her wings closer to her sides to help avoid the chill. She opened her eyes, now able to see the light shining in through the front entrance and turned into another adjacent chamber. She froze when she saw where the source of crying was coming from.

"Neros!" She gasped, her body frozen in fear and surprise.

The albino dragon jolted, whirling around with a startled expression on his face. "Wh-what are you doing here?" He nearly choked, backing up towards the wall.

"I could ask you the same thing," Crona answered, narrowing her eyes at him suspiciously.

"This is my home! I have every right to be here!" Neros snarled, his body glowing with convexity.

"I would beg to differ." Crona snapped. "You left home from what I understand. This is not your home!"

Neros curled his lip at her and snorted dirt in her face. Crona blinked at the sudden pain. She froze time and rubbed her eyes until the stinging went away. She looked up, expecting Neros to be in mid-charge, rushing towards her. Much to her surprise he had not moved an inch from where he sat. Crona released her hold on time and Neros shook his head in confusion, noticing the sudden, sharp change of her actions.

"Just leave." Neros growled, curling into a ball in the corner. "I don't have time to deal with you right now."

I'm not going anywhere," Crona hissed. "Not until you tell me why you're here in the first place."

"You wouldn't understand," Neros hissed back, glaring at her with a menacing stare.

"You sound just like your brother when you say that," Crona snapped. "You're both too stubborn to let anyone help you when you need it."

"Fine!" Neros shot back, getting to his feet sending another dust cloud at Crona. This time the dragoness closed her eyes for a split second, letting the particles brush over her eyelids. When she opened her eyes, Neros was fully facing her, his wings spread wide in open challenge. "You want to know what's wrong with me, is that I hate what I've become! I hate what I've done and I hate the world around me for making me do it!"

"The world made you kill your own family?" Crona raised a brow with a disgusted look on her face. "You don't seriously expect me to believe that, do you?"

"Like I said, you wouldn't understand." Neros snorted, turning away again.

"What's not to understand?" Crona demanded. "You had a rough childhood? You felt dejected and therefore you felt the need to murder your whole family. Maul the only dragon who cared about you and try to kill him after he managed to barely escape with his life? What's not to understand about you bringing a war onto others who have nothing to do with your affairs? Huh? Tell me!"

"That's just it! It wasn't my doing!" Neros snapped his head around with his teeth bared.

"Then explain yourself!" Crona said sitting down, taking a chance with the very dragon who was after her. "If you don't have the time for me then maybe you can let me in on your little secret."

"Why should I go along with something to ridiculously stupid?" Neros spat on the floor at Crona's feet.

Crona ignored the gesture and narrowed her eyes at him. "I told you mine. Now it's your turn."

Neros paused at that. A sigh escaped his maw and he sat back down on his haunches. "This... power... Convexity as you call it... It... It has a will of its own... it's darkness is what it is. Pure darkness. It... it makes me think things... do things... things I wouldn't normally do." He looked up at Crona with a sad expression on his face. "You want proof? Just look around you. This is where the apes slaughtered my family in their sleep. You can smell it for yourself."

Crona knew he was right. The scent was unmistakable, especially after her numerous years in its company.

"I just ran away from home. And that one night Certo left me alone... I felt lost... like I had no one else to turn to."

"It wasn't his fault Neros. I'm sure he's told you that."

"Don't you get it?" Neros snarled, showing his teeth again. "Certo's a liar! He left me out there! He said Ebony stopped him, but you know how strong Certo is. He could easily match another dragon four times his size!"

Crona nodded, recalling the incidents she had witnessed between the black dragon and his skirmishes with the other city dragons.

"I... I just... I've been alone all my life. No one looks up to me. No one ever gave me a chance. I had to go out on my own and make it on my own without the help of anyone else. And because of that, I stumbled across this power... It wasn't until I first left home that it surfaced during my first encounter with the apes. I didn't care about living anymore. I didn't care who wanted me and who didn't. I just snapped!"

Crona could picture the albino in her mind as he told his story. She could see how the dragon would be suffering from extreme depression and neglect, but two things did not sit well with her.

"So how did you find that you could use convexity? And what drove you do something so horrible to the ones who brought you into this world?"

"I'm an unwanted child!" Neros fumed. "They cared nothing about me and focused only on Certo! He was given every chance to succeed in this world and I was left to my own devices. He was the dragon that everyone loved and envied."

"So your jealousy is the source of your power," Crona thought to herself, twitching her lips slightly. "So why is it your power doesn't consume you? Or has it?"

Neros seemed to read the dragoness's expression and frowned. "If you're wondering how my power works, I can tell you now that it's nothing like Certo's. I cannot lose control of it because it survives on my emotions."

"Your negative energy feeds it. The more you hate Certo, the stronger you become."

"Hated Certo," Neros corrected. "Now all I have to do is rid the world of dragons and then the great cleansing will be complete."

Crona raised a brow and took a cautious step back. "But... I thought you just said you regretted what you did?"

Neros paused for a second and cursed to himself. He had stepped out of character and exposed himself. "I regret that the apes do all the work, but in terms of regret for wanting to rid the world of filth like those you and my brother lived with, not in the slightest."

"Neros, you're a monster! How can you wish something so terrible on others you don't even know?"

"All dragons are alike," Neros growled as he started stalking towards the white dragoness. "The dragons you lived with were no exception. Am I right?"

"No!" Crona snapped, stamping her foot, trying to appear fearless before him. His ruby eyes seemed to pierce right through her even though she knew he could not see very well at all.

"I'm not?" Neros squinted at her as she backed into the passageway. "They welcomed him in without a second thought? They treated him as one of their own? Judging by what I saw last, that was most likely not the case."

Crona knew he was right, but she would not tolerate Neros bad-mouthing his brother. "Fine, that may be true, but things have changed for the better because of your brother. He was able to prove himself as an equal and an ally, especially when you began attacking the city! He overcame every obstacle in his path just like you did. He knows what you've been through."

Neros curled his lip at that. "He never knew what I went through because he was the source of it all! He insisted that my family treat me as an equal and that made them despise me. He did this without regard to my feelings or needs and never thought of asking what I wanted. He only thought of himself!"

"How twisted are you?" Crona snapped, gnashing the air with her teeth. "Your brother has a good heart, and you think of him like every dragon that has run into him before. You're not the victim here Neros, your brother is!"

"I knew you wouldn't understand," Neros muttered. "You won't ever understand me until you're different from everyone around you and hated for it."

"You're right. I won't. And I've never been hated for what I am, but it doesn't make life any easier for me either. I live every day with the knowledge of what my real identity is and it still stings to this very moment! I hope you live the rest of your life knowing and regretting what you've done to your brother!"

Neros bared his teeth and lunged for Crona. The dragoness turned to flee, but Neros blew a gust at her, sending more dust into her eyes. Crona charged forward blindly into the central cavern. She paused to glance towards Star's chamber, her eyes struggling to relieve the burning. She felt a presence behind her and leaped to the side as Neros tried to pounce on her. The two dragons hissed at one another, circling each other. Neros lunged again and Crona turned to flee. The albino struck her hind legs, tripping her and knocking her to the floor. Both dragons scrambled to get to their feet, but Neros was faster this time. He tackled Crona and the two rolled over each other, each trying to gain the upper hand.

"Get off me!" Crona shouted, slashing his face with her claws.

Neros only snarled and tried to pin the dragoness beneath his weight. Crona kicked and clawed with everything she had, but Neros dropped his weight on top of her head, pushing it against the floor. The albino dragon folded his wings over and inhaled, sucking the air into his lungs; he was trying to smother her.

Crona struggled to breath and force her way out from under his body. She halted time and shoved Neros's wing away enough to get a fresh breath. The black dragon's claws were dug into the hard rock floor, keeping her from getting at a good angle to squeeze her way out from under his body. Crona closed her eyes and tried to concentrate on the blue mist inside the cave. The magical energy was hardly noticeable anymore, but Crona had to try and escape.

A mass of the magic energy gathered around Crona's paw. She struck Neros in the ribs just as she released her hold on time, sending the black dragon into the wall with a loud thud. Neros cried out in agony as he hit the floor hard, dazed by the sudden blow.

Taking the chance to escape, Crona jumped to her feet and rushed back towards the front of the cave. Still dazed, Neros lifted his head and fired a bolt of violet energy, striking the ground to Crona's left. The rock floor burst up from under the white dragoness, knocking her into the wall. The impact stunned her and Neros wavered slightly as he got to his feet. His side throbbed as he staggered over to the fallen dragoness.

Crona groaned in pain as she struggled to her feet. Her head pounded from the inside out and vertigo continued to overwhelm her. All at once she felt Neros clamp down on her wing's deltoid with his powerful jaws. Her scream echoed inside the cavern and was silenced when Neros rammed her into the wall again. Crona's head rocked against the stone; Neros was trying to render her unconscious, hoping to carry her off once she was immobilized.

Neros pulled Crona away from the wall, hoping to subdue her with one more heavy blow. Just as he was about to deliver the final strike a strong wind blew through the cavern and a black dragon charged into the albino. Neros released his grip on Crona as he rolled and bounced across the cavern floor. The sheer force of the blow nearly rendered him unconscious. As Neros struggled to overcome the spinning in his head, he looked up to see two eyes staring at him with killing intent; one blue, one crimson red.

"Y-you! You're still alive?" Neros gasped in utter shock. Certo growled, lowering himself to the ground, spreading his wings to create a barrier between his twin and Crona. "But, I.. how did you survive?"

Certo only bared his teeth and lunged for his brother. He delivered a strong blow to the albino dragon's head, knocking him to the ground again, before grabbing the base of his neck in his jaws. Neros hollered in pain as Certo hurled him away from Crona. The white dragoness looked up at the black dragon, her head still wobbling from dizziness.

"Certo, wh-what are you doing here?"

The black dragon only glanced at her over his left shoulder with his blue eye. Crona immediately knew the answer as he turned back and lunged again at Neros. In mid-leap, Certo somersaulted, swinging his tail blade to catch his brother off guard. Neros gritted his teeth and jumped backwards as the whistle of Certo's blade narrowly missed his chest. The albino dragon lashed out, hoping to catch Certo off balance as he landed. Certo dodged and tackled Neros and the two began to roll over each other, snarling and clawing at one another.

Certo quickly managed to gain the upper hand, kicking Neros into their parents' chamber. Neros gasped, sucking in a deep breath and releasing a sonic roar as he hit the floor of the cave. The sound shook the entire cavern, causing rocks to fall from the ceiling. Certo turned his eyes up and dodged just in time to miss being struck by a rock the size of his own head. He hopped backwards towards Crona, using his body to shield her from the falling rubble.

Neros's sinister hiss broke through the crumbling of breaking rocks. He launched himself over the pile of rocks with his claws outstretched towards Certo. Crona saw what was coming and hugged Certo's leg close to her.

"Crona!" Certo shouted, bracing himself in case she did not pick up on his cue. To his relief, the dragoness halted time, freezing Neros in the height of his spring. Certo chambered his legs before giving a powerful kick away from Crona. The dragoness watched as he became frozen along with his brother before releasing her hold to see the black dragon slam into the albino's stomach. Neros's eyes widened as he felt the wind rush out of him.

Certo rolled across the floor with his brother, cutting himself on several of the sharp rocks before launching Neros into a small overhang on one of the chambers. The force of the impact shattered the rock, which fell to the ground on top of the albino dragon.

Neros felt his head spin. Certo had gained the upper hand quickly and was holding it. If he did not retaliate or escape he would be killed for sure. The sound of quick footsteps snapped him into action. Certo spun around, swinging his tail blade. Neros hissed and swung his tail, wrapping the end of it around Certo's and yanking him off balance. The black dragon yelped in surprise as he was slammed against the wall. Neros spun to his feet and lashed out with his own blade, missing Certo as he ducked under the strike. The brothers swung at one another again. Sparks flew as their mercury blades clashed and locked.

Neros glared into his siblings eyes. There was something different about him; almost as if he were no longer the same dragon he had grown up with. A fierce determination burned behind the black dragon's eyes as he braced himself and pressed harder with his blade. Neros was finding himself irritated by the sight of his twin more than he ever had before. Certo was overpowering him and he was already at a disadvantage.

The albino disengaged the blade lock and struck his brother across the face. Certo staggered from the blow but did not fall. Neros pounced on him and pinned him to the ground. Certo slashed the pale-skinned dragon across the chest, only managing to leave small cuts from the lack of power at his angle. Neros snarled and stomped on Certo's chest, causing him to cough hard. Neros pivoted on Certo's stomach, digging his claws into his soft underbelly as much as possible, before raising his tail blade to strike.

Just as he was about to spear his brother, Neros lurched forward from a force hitting him from behind. Certo jerked his head to the side as the mercury tip plunged into the stone wall and looked up. Crona snarled menacingly as she kicked and scratched on Neros's back. She was still smaller than both males but her weight made it hard for the black dragon to throw her off.

Crona dug her claws into Neros's shoulders and locked her hind legs under his. Neros flailed wildly, trying to buck the dragoness off his back as she dug her talons in deeper. Certo struck him across the face, leaving three more bloody marks across Neros's cheeks. Neros staggered back on his hind legs and began to topple over.

Seeing what was about to happen, Crona stopped time, before dropping to the floor and moving out of the way. Neros hit the floor, stunning himself in the process. Crona raised a paw and gathered what little of the blue mist was about her and thrust it forward. The albino felt a crushing force send him shooting across the room into Ebony's chamber. Certo charged in before Crona could rush in herself. A savage snarl echoed through the cavern followed by the sound of scuffling claws on stone. A split second later, Certo was flung from the darkness of his older brother's cave. Crona ducked as he sailed over her head before tumbling across the floor. Neros emerged from the darkness, glowing in furious violet energy.

The albino black dragon glared at the white dragoness and hissed. Blood trickled from his nose and lower lip, peppering the floor at his feet. Neros let loose an angry cry and lunged for Crona. The dragoness side-stepped and kicked with both hind legs. The albino dragon's head rocked and he staggered several paces away. Crona charged in, head down, ramming Neros in the chest with her horns. Neros opened his mouth to cry out, but bent his neck down, grasping Crona's in his jaws. The white dragoness screamed as she felt the vice grip clamp down on her vertebrae. Neros shook her violently before slamming her into the floor. Crona saw stars dance before her eyes as she struggled for a breath. All at once she felt a heavy paw on her back and the sting of claws digging into her skin.

Before Neros could deliver her a knock out, the cavern suddenly became illuminated in a bloody crimson light. Neros looked up to see his sibling standing again, poised to attack. Certo's bad eye was blazing bright and his scars flashed more intensely with each breath he took.

Neros sneered and a wicked grin spread across his mouth. "Careful brother. You don't want to lose control of that power of yours again."

Certo only curled his lip and kicked hard, propelling himself at his twin. Neros's body gave a surge of energy as he shot straight up towards the ceiling. An orb of energy struck the roof of the cavern, blowing a hole through to the open sky high above. Certo stopped and curled himself around Crona as the ceiling continued to crumble around them. The black dragon squeezed his eyes shut as the thundering of boulders continued to rumble around them. As the noise began to subside, Certo opened his eyes to see a barrier of blue magic spiraling about over his head. An angry roar echoed from outside as Neros flew off into the distance. He had lost this skirmish and he knew it.

Once he was certain that his twin would not return, Certo sighed heavily, looking down at Crona. "Are you okay?" He asked softly. Crona groaned and blinked several times, staring up at the sky beyond the hole in the ceiling. Her eyes met Certo's and she found herself speechless. The fierce eyes she had come to know so well seemed to be staring at her with a gentle sadness in them. "Crona?"

"I... I'm fine," She stammered, shaking her head only to realize how much of a throbbing headache she had.

"Can you get up?"

Crona moved her legs, bumping Certo's, testing to see if anything was broken. "I think I can manage." Certo stood still for a long moment and Crona found herself staring into his eyes again. "But I can't if you're on top of me, Certo."

The black dragon backed up without a word. Crona got to her feet and winced in pain. The burning pain in her neck and shoulder were finally starting to get to her. Blood slowly flowed from the tooth marks left by the black dragon, tainting her pure white scales. A sorrowful look passed over Certo's face as he stared at her. Had he only been faster to act, he would have prevented her from being injured.

Crona looked up and seemed to read his thoughts as he stared at her neck. "It's not your fault you know," She spoke softly to him. "Injuries are bound to happen when fighting." She swallowed hard, her cheeks turning red as she moved closer to him. Her breast scales brushed against his chest as she rubbed her cheek and nuzzled the bottom of his chin. It was the only thing she could think of to assure him that she was okay without having to repeat it out loud. But at the same time it brought her exceptionally close to him in a manner she had never before experienced. Plus, wasn't he still mad at her? Was she still mad at him?

Before she could pull away, Crona found Certo's leathery wings draped tightly over her body, pulling her close. The dragoness stifled a startled squeak and her face burned with heated embarrassment. She could hear the thumping of a heart beat; whether it was her own or Certo's she could not tell. Certo lowered his head until it gently rested on top of hers. He was embracing her for the first time in more than just an assuring pat on the back, but a full on hug.

"C-Certo..." She squeaked, her heart pounding against her chest. She could no longer feel the pain that had been inflicted upon her, but the rapid beating of her heart was almost too much to bear.

Another sigh escaped from Certo's maw. "I'm sorry," he whispered.

"Huh?" Crona tilted her head slightly, trying to look up at him.

"I was at fault... for... you know... I'm sorry I reacted the way I did... I just... I..." Certo's voice was beginning to crack. Crona's mouth hung open slightly as she was speechless from his actions.

After a moment she closed her mouth and leaned into Certo's scarred shoulder. "I'm sorry too," She murmured, her voice tickling his scales. "I never meant to hurt you. I... was... I was just doing what I thought any friend would do. It wasn't easy though."

Certo was silent again as he rested his head on top of hers. He felt warm, not just from his still glowing scars; the dragoness being with him made him feel better, at ease.

For a long time neither dragon moved. Crona was beginning to drift off, tired from the scuffle, when she remembered the reason she was here.

"Certo!" She exclaimed, squirming to get away from him. The black dragon withdrew his wings and Crona turned to clamber over the fallen rocks and boulders which lay across the floor of the cavern.

"What... what are you doing?" The black dragon stuttered. "Do you know where we are?"

"I know," Crona answered, stopping to look back over her shoulder. "I know what this place must mean to you... but there's something I have to show you." She turned and climbed up over a boulder and began shoving rocks out of the way which blocked her entrance into Star's chamber. Certo followed hesitantly after her, looking around as the memories of that nightmarish night came back to fill his thoughts. As he stepped over the rocks and boulders he could still visualize everything where it had happened; Siren's last stand, Enigma when he sacrificed himself so that he could escape with Star, his parents when he had found them murdered in their sleep. The rush made him dizzy just thinking about it and Certo gave a low groan and staggered on his feet.

"Are you alright?" Crona asked, stopping what she was doing to look back at him.

"I... I just don't... I don't want to be here anymore."

"Okay, we'll only be a little longer." Crona assured him, and continued to move debris at a quickened pace.

"No, Crona... I... I want to leave now."

"Certo." Crona stopped again to look him in the eyes. "I still trust you. I know what happened in here and how tough it is for you, but I'm asking you... Even though I'm sure I have no right to... Trust me."

Certo breathed heavily. It felt like the atmosphere was getting thicker; too thick for him to breathe. His eyes darted around the rubble but eventually came to lock with Crona's. She stared at him with a certain urgency in her eyes. Whatever she was doing was important, not just for her, but him as well.

Hesitantly he stepped closer, brushing a couple of the larger stones away. Crona smiled, seeing the answer to her request. The two dragons worked together to clear away enough debris to crawl into Star's chamber where it would have been nearly pitch black if it were not for the glow of Certo's eye and scales. Crona closed her eyes to think back to her dream. Slowly she walked forward as she had done in her vision until she came to a large stone pressed against the wall. She placed her shoulder against it and began to push.

"What are you doing?" Certo asked, perplexed by her actions.

Crona did not answer, but continued to grunt and wheeze as she tried to move the stone that was almost Certo's size. The black dragon moved up beside her and began to push with everything ounce of strength he could muster. Inch by inch, the two proceeded to slide the rock out of the way before managing to knock it over with a loud crack. They spent a moment panting before Crona turned to the hole that had been revealed.

"Certo, add more light if you can," She ordered, leaning towards the darkness. The black dragon closed his eyes, and thought hard.

"Protect," he thought to himself. This was his key word for finding his source. A moment later, his scars blazed brighter, and Certo opened his eyes. The light given off by his body was enough to allow Crona to see into the hole.

"Oh my gosh," She whispered, her eyes growing wide. "Certo, look at this."

The black dragon moved closer to the dragoness and his mouth fell open in disbelief. The hole had been dug out of the rock and lined with layers upon layers of dried moss for insulation. The moss on the floor was dried as well as the leaves which rested on top of it; and on top of the leaves, rested a single egg, one which Certo recognized even in the crimson light.

"Star," he murmured, leaning towards the hidden treasure.

"Your sister hid this...when the apes first attacked you," Crona explained.

Certo turned to look her in the eye and Crona had to squint against the brightness of his glowing eye. "How did you know? How could you have known?"

Crona only shrugged, wincing at the pain in her shoulder. "I had a vision in my dreams. I... I saw what you barely managed to survive..." She lowered her gaze to Certo's shoulder and the scars embedded into his hide. "I'm sorry for your loss." Then she turned to the egg and placed a paw against it. The shell was cold and Crona began to realize that showing Certo may not have been the best idea, especially if the egg was no longer sustaining life.

"Is it... you know..." Certo whispered hesitant to learn the answer.

Crona closed her eyes and concentrated. In her mind's eye she could see the blue mist, gently hovering around the egg. A faint glow pulsed from the inside, indicating a heartbeat. The beat was extremely weak, but Crona was not willing to give up just yet. "It's alive." She nodded, turning to smile at the black dragon who continued to look dumbfounded. "But we need to get it to somewhere where it's warm."

"But... how has it survived for six months out here?" Certo stammered, shaking his head.

"We'll worry about that later," Crona said, reaching out to gather the egg close to her chest. "How about we get this back to the city where it can be properly taken care of while we still have the chance."

Certo watched as Crona stood up and tucked the egg close to her underbelly before turning towards the entrance they had dug out. Just before she could take another step, another downpour of rubble blocked their exit. Certo jumped forward, putting himself between her and falling debris should any rocks try and crush them.

Crona coughed hard as the dust choked her lungs. "We need to dig our way out of here," She wheezed, fanning the air with her wings, blowing the dust away as much as possible.

Seeing that she was unharmed, Certo climbed back towards the space where their hole had been. The rocks refused to budge, packed in by more exterior weight than before. "It won't budge," He gasped, trying to shove one of the larger rocks out of the way.

"Can you blow a hole through the rock?" Crona asked after a moment of silent thought.

"Not without risking another cave in." Certo shook his head.

"But you could definitely do it right?"

"Yes but..."

"Then get close to me. Now!" Crona ordered. Not waiting a single second, the black dragon did as he was told. "Aim for that spot right there," Crona pointed to the wall where the hole had been dug. Certo stood his ground and braced himself as he focused on summoning his power. Karma began rising in wisps from his scars, increasing the temperature inside the cave. Crona lowered herself towards the floor, holding the egg close as a growl resonated in Certo's throat. The noise quickly grew louder, before the black dragon thrust his head forward releasing a thundering roar and a powerful blast of karma. The crimson energy struck the stone wall, shaking the cave, and burned through the rock. Streaks of red light poked through the cracks in the exterior of the mountain before a deafening explosion blew the entire side of the mountain out.

"Certo, hold onto me!" Crona shouted. Without even thinking, the black dragon quickly wrapped his tail around Crona's and the two spread their wings as Crona halted time. She clutched the egg safely against her chest as she leaped towards the light from the outside. Certo struggled to follow after her, beating his wings in unison with hers as he flew overhead. Without their tails to balance them, they were left to rely on the other for stability. Both dragons beat their wings hard, trying to stay aloft and together as they maneuvered in between the flying rocks, hanging still with time. Once they were clear, Crona released her grip on time and the ring of the explosion rattled their teeth. Certo released her, allowing her to finally feel more comfortable while flying, and turned to watch as the mountain began to collapse on itself. The grinding and cracking of rock echoed across the valley as the mountain crumbled into the forest below.

Crona looked back at the black dragon with a saddened expression. "Are you going to be okay?" She asked, hovering beside him.

Certo could only stare at the cloud of dust which was all that remained of his home. Seeing this place again stirred up so many emotions inside of him at once, he was not sure what to feel anymore. All he could feel was hate, anger, sorrow and stress the longer he stared at the pile of rubble. No feelings of joy could be found in this place, no matter how hard he tried.

"Hey!" A sudden voice caused both dragons to snap out of their trance and turned around. Flying towards them was a familiar ice dragon; Mateo.

On instinct, Certo flew in front of Crona and bared his teeth, knowing full well who the male was associated with. Seeing the black dragon's reaction surprised the ice dragon but he drew closer none the less. As he came closer, Crona and Certo could see the dark lines around his eyes from lack of food and sleep. "Thank the ancestors you two are here!" Mateo wheezed, coming to hover before them. It was then he noticed the egg Crona was carrying and glanced at Certo. Crona saw the perplexed expression on his face and her cheeks began to burn.

"What are you doing all the way out here?" She spoke up, drawing the blue dragon's attention away from his private thoughts.

"We need your help," Mateo gasped, returning to the problem at hand.

"You expect me to help Titanus out?" Certo growled, narrowing his eyes at the male.

Mateo only shook his head. "We aren't with Titanus. Not anymore at least. But... Listen. Follow me. I'll explain everything, I promise. But right now there are others who are wounded."

Crona and Certo gave each other worried glances. "Lead the way." They spoke in unison before shooting each other another surprised look. Mateo turned and dove back towards the forest with the two dragons following close behind.

"I'm glad we recognized that power of yours!" Mateo called over his shoulder as the wind rushed by. "Otherwise we may have been stumbling about these woods for ancestors know how long." As the ice dragon flew in for a landing, Certo and Crona could see five other dragons through the trees.

"Oh my gosh!" Crona gasped as she hovered over the camp sight, just under the overhanging branches of the canopy. Frisco lay on his side, wheezing heavily while Arcane lay motionless beside him. The three other young males sat nearby, looking worn out and frightened as their eyes scanned the shadows of the forest.

"How long have you all been out here?" Certo asked gruffly, still not fully trusting the situation they were in.

"Ever since..." Mateo's voice trailed off as he looked Certo in the eye. "Since your brother attacked us in the field."

"You've been out here on your own for that long?" Crona gasped.

Mateo hung his head in shame. "It was Titanus's idea. We followed him as he followed your brother." He locked eyes with Certo who looked like he was becoming more flustered at the mention of his twin. "Titanus... wanted to try and join up with him."

"He what?" Certo and Crona exclaimed together, more mortified than anything else.

"He wants you dead, Certo," Frisco wheezed, struggling to get up. His side was covered in dried blood and dirt. The two remaining earth dragons of the group had managed to pack his wounds in a makeshift adobe cast to keep from getting even more infected. "He wants you dead, so he can get at Crona himself." The white dragoness curled her lip in utter disgust.

Certo glanced back at her for a moment before turning back to the former members of the fire dragon's gang. "So what happened next?"

Mateo fell silent as he looked over at Arcane and Frisco. His mouth was moving but he could not make any words come out. Tears began to well up around his eyes, freezing up on his cheek bones.

Sensing what he was saying, Certo walked over to Frisco and forced the fire dragon onto his back. Frisco grunted in pain, but bit his lip to keep from crying out. "Let's go," Certo ordered to the other dragons. "It's not safe to stay here. We can make it back to the city by nightfall if we move now."

"Certo, we're easily a day and a half away from the city." Crona protested. "Crona, do you trust me?" The white dragoness fell silent as she instinctively held the egg closer to her body. After a moment she nodded. Certo turned back to Mateo. "Let's get you all home."

The ice dragoness brushed the frozen tears off of his face and nodded. He motioned for the others to follow Certo while he gathered Arcane's limp body onto his back. Once everyone was in the air Certo nodded to Crona. "Stay close to me." He whispered before taking off at the front of the formation.

Titanus trudged along, alone and enraged. "Damn those pathetic weaklings!" He grumbled. "I should have forced them to stay." He had been continuing in a blind rage, not paying any attention to where he was going. He struck a tree with his paw, knocking it to the ground with a loud crack. The blue dragon did not realize that with each step he took, blue sparks would dance about his feet, threatening to ignite the forest floor on fire.

The longer Titanus thought, the more his rage inside would build up. With each exhale, a puff of blue flame would jet from his nostrils and between his clenched teeth. The entire situation was frustrating to him. He had no idea where he was, no clue whether or not he was heading in the right direction and he was hungry beyond measure.

He had not been paying attention when he suddenly felt his foot catch on a fallen tree. The stab of a broken branch struck him in the foot and he bellowed in pain. The blue dragon reared back, trying to regain his footing but only managed in falling face first into the ground with a loud thud. The fallen tree snapped under the weight of his body collapsing on top of it. For a moment, Titanus saw spots of light dance before his eyes before he was able to regain his senses.

In a violent fury, the blue dragon turned and swatted the lower half of the tree trunk, smashing it into another larger tree. "Damn it!" He roared, swinging his massive tail, only to have the spike become lodged in another truck. Even more infuriated, Titanus swung his tail, wrenching the tree from its roots, before clipping another cluster in half with it. Frustrated with the tree being stuck to his tail spike, Titanus spun around, swinging his tail as hard as he could. The trunk was dislodged and hurled into another grove, breaking their trunks with ear piercing cracks. Titanus stood gasping for breath, trying to get a hold of himself.

"I'm not a weakling," He growled. "I am not inferior to those ferals. I am the supreme dragon! I'm the dominant element!" He reared his head back and bellowed furiously, his voice carrying across the valley. The noise caused a rustle in the bushes to his right. Titanus turned to see a deer poke its head out from its hiding place, closer to the grove he had just knocked down. Both creatures stared at one another for a long minute before the deer turned and bolted.

Surprised by the sudden sight of food, Titanus had to snap himself out of his trance-like state. With an angry snarl, he charged after the deer, barreling through trees, not paying any mind to them as they toppled over or snapped beneath his feet. The deer was far more agile than the blue dragon, but fear gripped its heart as it sprinted away from him. Just as the stag broke out into an open field, Titanus lunged through the air, beating his wings and snatched his prey up in his jaws. Another beat of his wings sent him higher into the air as he swallowed the buck whole, snapping its antlers like twigs with his powerful jaws. The sudden noise caused other animals in the area to burst out of hiding and flee for their lives.

Suddenly seeing the forest come alive with prey, Titanus curled his lip as his irises turned to feral-like slits. A tremor ripped through his body and he thrust his head forward, blue fire billowing from the back of his throat. The woodland creatures slid to a halt before the wall of fire and turned to retreat in the opposite direction. Titanus landed hard, shaking the ground beneath the feet of his would-be victims. They scattered, hoping to confuse the towering dragon enough to evade his deadly fire breath and escape. However, scattering only proved to be a fiasco as the quicker animals found themselves surrounded by flames and turned to run back over the smaller, slower creatures. Titanus whirled around, jaws opened wide, snatching up several small animals in one colossal bite.

By now the forest was ablaze, the flames of the blue dragon tightening the ring of fire around the blue dragon. Seeing the monstrous dragon grab another deer forced the animals to make a desperate choice, brave the flames or be eaten. Many of the larger animals charged forward, leaping through the wall only to come out on the opposite end, covered in flames themselves. The ones who did not run off into the forest ended up running in circles, rolling over in the dirt, trying to put themselves out. Titanus loomed over the wounded creatures and growled, before bearing down on them in a flash of teeth.

As the massacre continued, the flames produced by the fire-breather continued to rise. Titanus had lost himself in his extreme hunger and rage, attacking nearly everything that moved.

"I am not a weakling!" He bellowed, sending more flames from his jaws onto the forest around him. All around, creatures fled for their lives as the raging dragon continued to snatch up stragglers in his jaws, knocking trees down, looking for more food than he could consume. Titanus's breathing began to grow erratic. He was no longer sucking in air but his own flames. The harder he tried to breathe, the more smoke from his own fire filled him from the inside out. Titanus coughed hard, slowing just enough to collapse onto his hind legs. His chest hurt and his body burned from the inside out. The pain, however, did little to subdue him.

"I will not be looked down on by those ferals!" He snorted, more blue flames jetting from his nostrils. "I will look down on all of you like I have been!" He did not realize it, but his body was beginning to pulse as he became shrouded in his own flames. Titanus rose onto all fours once again and took in a deep breath, sucking in air and fire, burning himself from the inside out. The flames were immediately expelled into a tower of fire which could be seen for miles. The blue dragon's body was beginning to expand from the rapid increase in his metabolism. His muscles became more dense, his scales thicker and harder, his horns longer.

Seeing this sent Titanus over the edge. He let loose a roar as blue flames burst from pores beneath his scales. He could feel his power growing the more he surrounded himself in flames. With a determined spark in his eye he turned and burned away the forest around him, feeling the fire swell within his body. "I'll make you both suffer." He hissed in his mind. "And then we will see who the dominant dragon is."

Several kilometers away, the ape scout leader watched the scene with great interest. He had never seen such behavior from the dragons before. Seeing the blue fire breather rear his head above the trees, spewing a wave of blue fire into the sky was truly a spectacular sight to the baboon.

The scout leader was so captivated by the sight before him that he did not notice the sound of wing beats until Neros sent a gust of wind down, nearly knocking him off his perch on the high branches.

"M-Master!" The ape stammered, snapping out of his trance to stare up at the albino dragon in surprise. He then noticed the cuts and bruises and narrowed his eyes at the young dragon. "Is everything alright?"

"Fine," Neros muttered, still in a bit of a sour mood. "Just took a little detour." He lifted his gaze to the fire-breather in the distance, burning the forest to ash. "So this is what you wished for me to see?"

"Well, it only happened a short while ago Master. But for some time, he was behaving rather aggressively, before he... went berserk."

"I see." Neros watched as the blue dragon exhaled and inhaled his own flames, making himself grow larger by the minute. For several hours they watched the fire-breather burn the forest away, before moving on to catch more prey, gobbling them down messily, staining his jaws with their blood, then repeating the cycle of burning the earth and absorbing his flames back into him, thus repeating the cycle.

The ape scout found himself even more intrigued by the sight of the rapid growth of the dragon, and even Neros was finding himself musing over the display.

"What shall we do about him?" The scout finally managed to ask as Titanus continued to lumber away. By now his shoulders reached the treetops and his head towered over the forest canopy, making him extremely easy to spot, even at a great distance.

Neros pondered for a moment. He was still not entirely sure what he was seeing, but a plan was still forming in his mind. "Has there been any word on the whereabouts of his little procession?"

"No Master. None yet."

"Hm," Neros thought to himself for another moment before turning to the scout leader. "Send word to the remainder of the scout party. Have them join up with us as soon as possible."

"What will you plan to do, Master?"

"We're going to stay close to this one," Neros answered, coming to land on the ground below. "It will only be a matter of time now."


	33. Chapter 33

Certo sat in the courtyard of the academy, staring at what had once been a place for learning, now reduced to a pile of rubble. He was not sure how he felt about the situation when it happened. It had been when it was only him against the rest of the city, with all the dragons bent on proving him to be a monster.

"Not that some still don't." He muttered, batting a rock out of the way with his paw. He began wondering where Volcanus, Tectonica and Titanus were at this moment. According to what Verona and Stratus had heard, Tectonica had only broken off the attack when she thought she had crushed him and Crona under a pile of stone debris. But it had been over a week since the incident, and there had not been any sighting of any of them; at least not that he had heard. Certo's claws scratched the hard ground as he thought about what he would do to them if they dared to show their faces around him. Volcanus was the main problem since Tectonica would follow his every order without question. Titanus on the other hand had only one goal in mind; Crona.

Certo shook his head and hissed, sending the leaves which had fallen all around the courtyard, dancing through the wind. He did not want to think about her in the slightest right now. Not ever again.

"I'm such an idiot." Certo mumbled to himself. "To think that we..." His mind flashed back to the previous day as they sat together under the apple tree together. Crona had really gone out on a limb to tell him her secrets, about her powers, her past, the future. "If it had been any other dragon I would have thought they had lost it," he sighed, letting the wind blow the fallen leaves away, clearing the central courtyard. When she had told him her story, everything seemed to fall into place for him. The shyness of using her breath attacks around others. The manipulation of magic in public. The control over time itself was a trait he found more daunting than the use of magic, but the fact that she was not even from this time period was enough to make Certo's head hurt. If she had made it here on her own to begin with, why was she staying? Especially when she knew there was nothing to be done about this thousand-year war with the apes. There had to be some other ulterior motive that was keeping Crona from trying her hardest to return to her own time period.

Certo was in the middle of these thoughts when he sensed a presence in the wind behind him. The dragon stopped a few yards behind him and stood, patiently waiting for him to turn around. At first he tried to ignore the dragon, hoping they would go away eventually. However, when that did not happen, he turned his head and was immediately given a powerful blast of water to the face. The force was enough to knock Certo off balance from where he was sitting. The black dragon coughed and sputtered and looked up in time to see Cryus lash out at him. The water guardian struck Certo in the face with the ball of his wrist, knocking him on his back. Before he could sit up and retaliate, Cryus pinned his shoulders to the ground and leaned down until their eyes met.

"You have got a lot of nerve buddy, making that poor dragoness cry." The hiss in his voice was menacing enough without the killing glare he gave Certo. "I don't know where you get off making her cry like that, but whatever you did, I can almost bet it was uncalled for, and I won't stand for it."

Certo bared his teeth and snapped at Cryus who jerked his head back. "You don't know anything about Crona, or me for that matter. Perhaps you guardians had best stay out of our business."

"When you make a girl I like cry, then I make it my business darky." Cryus began digging his claws into Certo's chest; the black dragon did not so much as flinch. "Now what did you say," the blue dragon paused to think about his words. "Or do to her to make her that upset? I've known Crona for months now and I've never seen her cry before. Not once, despite everything that has gone on because of you."

Certo could have laughed and spat in his face. "I'm not obligated to tell you anything, especially if it concerns her. If she wants you to know anything, she'll let you know on her own terms, not yours."

Cryus paused. This was very true about the white dragoness. She had this ability to stop time which he had never heard of before or even imagined to be possible. He was curious to find out more about it, but was too ashamed to ask after the incident at the rally. He knew Crona did not like the guardians from the beginning because they wouldn't believe her about the attacks from the apes coming, but even after she had continued to despise them. That is except for Nitrus, Ampus and Kia who had defected to join her cause. And for what? To help this black feral who was the cause of it all? Looking at Certo filled the water dragon with rage. Cryus snarled and struck Certo again. The black dragon barely so much as let out a grunt, but glared back at his assaulter.

Cryus stepped off and took up a fighting stance with his wings spread wide. "Get up Certo! Right now!" Certo did as he was told but only at his convenience. He stood tall, staring at the water guardian with an uninterested look on his face. "Come on! I challenge you to a duel!" Cryus snarled, slashing the stone beneath his feet with his claws.

"I'm not fighting you." Certo snorted, sending a small cloud of dust in to Cryus's face. The blue dragon paused to rub his eyes before glaring at the black dragon.

"What's the matter? Too proud and arrogant to face me?"

"No. I have no reason to fight you. Give me a reason and I'll consider it." Certo turned and began walking away towards the academy gardens.

Cryus stared at him in shock, almost certain that the feral would take the opportunity to fight as they were 'known' to do more often than not. "Don't turn your back on me Certo! You crossed the line with me when you hurt Crona! And now I'm calling you out to face the light like a true dragon."

Certo stopped and glanced back at Cryus. His blue eye seemed to glisten in the early morning sun. "A 'true dragon'? Are you referring to one of you city-dwellers? Because if so, I'm not changing who I am for anyone. Not even Crona. And before you start going off as the so-called hero, let me tell you, that Crona has her share of secrets too. She's hurt me far more than I've hurt her." Certo turned and continued walking away.

"Oh, so suddenly this is all about you?" Cryus snapped, stomping his foot angrily. "Believe it or not Certo, the world doesn't revolve around you! It's not just about you! I'm going to find Crona, and I'm going to keep her from seeing you ever again! I'll protect her from the likes of you!" The blue dragon snorted and whirled around, exiting the campus.

For a long time, Certo just sat in the gardens staring at the remaining flowers and the few insects buzzing from one to the next. Fall had come late, but the flowers had stopped blooming some time ago. Now they all were drying up and withering away as the days continued to get colder.

Cryus's last words really seemed to stick in his mind as he stared at the plants surrounding him. A tiny snake, poked its head out from under a bush beside the black dragon and sniffed the air with its tongue. As it slithered from it's hiding spot, Certo felt its cold body brush against his toes and jerked his attention down to look at it. The serpent paused to give the dragon a curious stare, flicking his tongue out more rapidly, but soon turned back to the task it had set about doing. Certo watched as it climbed into the branch of a neighboring bush and disappear into its leaves. He was so much larger than it, yet the creature had barely given him so much as a second look.

"I don't try to make things about me?" Certo rebutted silently. "I try and involve myself with others as little as possible. Because I don't want others being hurt because of my affairs." He stared up at the sky. Not a cloud could be seen for miles and the bright blue reminded him of Crona's eyes. "Isn't that what you first told me?" The black dragon shook his head. "You're always there Crona. Why? What have you got to gain by staying here? Is it because it's not safe enough to go back home?"

_"It has to happen for the better of all dragons everywhere."_ Crona's voice whispered in his mind.

Certo growled to himself. Even when he was as angry with her as he was right now, he could not bring himself to fully shut her out. She had gotten close to him and he had allowed it to happen. "Damn you Crona." Certo grumbled as he got to his feet and spread his wings. With a single leap he sprang into the air and flew off towards the west. "I hate it when you're always right."

Much to Certo's word, the formation of young dragons reached the city shortly after nightfall. As soon as they were within range of the city's wall, Certo let out a distressed roar, instantly alerting the guards on station. Several sentries took flight from up on the wall which now loomed over most of the city's buildings. It was nowhere near the scale Crona had seen at Warfang, but the resemblance was striking.

"Master Certo!" The lead dragon exclaimed upon recognizing the black dragon. "Master Crona."

"Master?" Certo and Crona exclaimed together giving each other astonished looks.

"Where have you two been? The city has been searching for you both for nearly three days now?"

"We'll explain later." Certo swallowed hard, trying to hide his embarrassment over this new title. "Right now we have wounded who need more attention."

"Understood," the sentry nodded. He turned his back towards the black dragon and slowed his flight pace down enough so Certo could land. The black dragon did his best to gently roll Frisco from off his back onto the sentry's armored plating. The young fire dragon gave a grunt as his sides nearly collapsed in on themselves. Certo pushed him up onto the sentry's shoulders where he would be less likely to fall off.

"Thank you, Certo." The fire-breather wheezed, trying to smile through the pain that infected his body. Certo found himself dumbstruck for a moment and his mouth hung open. After the initial shock had passed, Certo let himself fall backwards off the sentry's back, letting the wind support him as he hovered with his wings extended to their full length. As the Sentries gathered up the young dragons, allowing them to rest on their backs, Mateo nodded gratefully to Certo and Crona. The two dragons followed closely as the sentries led the way back to their post, calling out to other nearby guards as they came in to land.

"Gather the healers!" The leader ordered sharply. "Alert the captain that Certo and Crona have returned."

Several other guards nearby, disappeared into the city, leaving the remaining guards to check over the wounded and fatigued youngsters. Arcane was in the worse shape by far, his body feeling cold on the back of the sentry's neck.

"Come, we will gather at the council chambers." The head guard turned towards the center of the city with Certo and Crona hovering overhead. The white dragoness clutched the egg close to her body. She noticed the guards making several side glances at her, making her feel rather uncomfortable until Certo drifted back beside her.

"How are you holding up?" He asked, glancing from her to his late sister's egg.

"I'm hanging in there," she nodded, trying to put on a strong persona for him. She could tell he was worried about her and the precious cargo she carried. "It's getting warmer."

Certo only stared at the egg. He wanted to know if the dragonet inside would live or not, but he could not ask Crona to use her knowledge of the future to find out for himself. Instead he looked up into the dragoness's blue eyes. "She'd make a great mother some day." He thought to himself as he watched her hold the egg closer to her core, protecting it from the cold. "That is if she ever found a mate she liked... and could put up with her." He narrowed his eyes at her for a split second. "But then, is she even able to mate? Just because she's not the literal definition of a dragon, doesn't mean she shouldn't be able to, right? I mean..." He glanced back at her, inspecting her figure for perhaps the first time since he had known her. "It's not like she doesn't have the means to."

"What's on your mind?" Crona asked, interrupting the black dragon's thought process. "You're making faces and staring at me. Is something wrong?" She was feeling rather suspicious, and with the egg so close to her, and the eyes staring at her, she was feeling extremely self-conscious out here in the open.

"Sorry," Certo quickly apologized, shaking his head clear of his previous thoughts. "I'm just... I... I wanted to know..."

"Certo! Crona!" Both dragons looked up to see Captain Cytros heading towards them at a quickened pace. The captain of the guard came to an abrupt halt over the council temple where the guardians held their meetings. As the procession of dragons came to a halt outside the door, the captain gave a disapproving look to both young dragons. "Where have you two been? I've had my guards on constant patrols because you two have been missing without a trace."

"We're sorry," Crona apologized. "It was..."

"My fault." Certo interjected. "There was a personal matter that... escalated out of control. And I'm sorry I made you all worry. It won't happen again."

Cytros was surprised at the open admittance from the black dragon but knew that it was an apology he could accept. It was then he noticed the egg in Crona's paws. His eyes widened and he glanced at Certo.

"It's not what you think!" Crona exclaimed, her cheeks turning red in the moonlight. If it weren't for the fact that this egg was possibly the last surviving member of Certo's family, she would have put it down a long time ago.

Cytros raised a brow at Crona then looked back at Certo who was looking rather nervous as he stared back at his sister's egg. "Certo, be honest with me. Does that egg belong to... did you and Crona."

"No!" The two dragons snapped in unison, their voices carrying through the streets.

Certo looked back at the egg and sighed, before landing on the ground. "That egg... it... it's..."

"It's all right," Cytros lifted a paw. "I probably shouldn't have asked to begin with."

"No! You've got it all wrong!" Crona protested. She landed and set the egg down. Immediately, Certo took it and tucked it close to his underbelly. Crona walked over to Cytros who leaned down towards her so she could whisper in his ear. The fire guard listened closely and then his eyes jumped to the black dragon.

"I see." He said, clearing his throat, rather embarrassed about his previous assumption. "In that case, I suggest we get a proper hatchery set up." He sat on his haunches and stared hard at Certo. "Would you like to pick out a place for it to be incubated?"

Certo jerked slightly at this. He had no idea that a specific place was required to hatch an egg. He remembered when Ana was incubating, she had remained by his mother who had kept the egg warm with her body heat. But he was not ready to start thinking about taking on such a responsibility. He had never expected to even get this far in his own life after that traumatizing night.

"I'll have to think about it." Certo pondered, pulling the black egg closer to his body, as if someone were preparing to take it from him.

"Captain." Every head turned to see Nitrus, Amp and Thundra walking down the street towards them. "What seems to be the emergency?"

"Is that what I think it is?" Amp asked as he drew closer to Certo and Crona.

"Crona. Certo. What have you two been doing while you've been away?" Thundra asked in a scolding tone."

"It's not theirs." Cytros replied, in case anyone else was curious. "But back to the situation at hand, we have wounded who need your immediate attention."

It was then Thundra noticed the young males on the guards backs and she gasped in shock. "Goodness! Get them inside where it's warm! Move! Now!" She ordered, ushering the sentries inside. Nitrus followed before pushing ahead to lead them towards an open chamber which had once been Volcanus's study. The smell of ash hung thick in the air and Certo found himself curling his lip at the stench.

The sentries set Frisco and the others down on the floor, gently, before stepping back to let Thundra give her initial examination of each of them. As she went about her work, footsteps could be heard down the hall. Certo curled around his egg, and braced himself incase it were an enemy approaching. Much to his surprise and relief, it was only Kia; followed closely by Cryus. Both gave the black dragon a disapproving look, though Kia was more upset about his sudden disappearance. When her eyes fell upon the egg, they grew wide and her jaw dropped open.

"Certo..."

"Not his," The sentries chimed in together before she could finish the sentence.

Kia and Cryus glanced over at Crona who continued to blush in embarrassment. Cryus glared at Certo who kept an eye on him, wrapping his tail around his feet, keeping his tail blade exposed should anyone make an attempt to come near him.

Behind them, Thundra sighed as she stepped back from Arcane. "I'm sorry." She announced to Mateo and the others. "He's gone."

"What?" Mateo and Frisco squeaked in astonishment.

Thundra sat on her haunches as the other healers arrived on the scene, each escorted by their own guard. "His injuries were too severe. I estimate he's been gone for at least a few hours now."

"It's my fault." Mateo shook his head in dismay. "I should have stopped and tried to treat his wounds myself."

"It's not your fault young dragon." Thundra drew the ice dragon close to her with her wing. "Whatever happened it was beyond your control."

Mateo could not take holding back anymore. The sound of his mournful cries echoed throughout the halls of the guardian's temple. He buried his face into Thundra's leg as tears began flowing down his cheeks. The other former members of Titanus's gang hung their heads, ashamed and grief-stricken from the loss of their friend. Off to the side, Certo lowered his head, saddened by the loss of another dragon; and one so young.

Cytros lifted his head towards the guards. The guardians nodded and began filing out of the room. Nitrus gave Thundra a gentle nudge as he passed by before taking the lead position and escorting the sentries towards the conference hall. Once inside, he took up position on his pedestal along with Amp and Cryus; all the while the water dragon never took his eyes off Certo and the egg.

For several minutes, the room was silent. No one knew what to say at first. Amp was the one who broke the silence, staring hard at Certo and Crona.

"What happened?"

Certo only shook his head. "I don't know the specifics," he muttered. "We were more concerned about getting them to safety than finding out the details right away."

"You do know who those dragons are don't you Certo?" Amp asked, raising a skeptical brow.

"They're part of Titanus's gang. We know." Certo nodded. The sound of a hostile growl lingered in his voice.

"But in their defense," Crona spoke up. She moved closer to the black dragon to give him an encouraging shove with her elbow. "They stated that they were no longer part of his little gathering. We were suspicious at first, thinking that this was another ploy on the part of that big blue boob, but, he was nowhere to be seen when Mateo led us back to their little camp."

The guards glanced at once another, all sharing the same thoughts.

"How long were they out there alone for?" Kia asked, glancing anxiously at Nitrus then back to her former students. "And what were they doing out there unsupervised to begin with?"

Crona fell silent. She knew the reason and it embarrassed her to think about it. Certo could sense her hesitation to answer, so he spoke up for her. "It's because of me."

"You?" Nitrus cocked his head curiously at the black dragon.

"What? Does Titanus have some personal vendetta against you?" Cytros sat on his haunches and stared at Certo, slightly confused by the situation.

"It would make sense." Amp piped up. "Certo's embarrassed him on a number of occasions." He glanced at his friend, trying to hide a smirk. "At least from what I remember."

"How so?" Kia asked, fixing Certo with a look a mother would give when waiting for their child to present an explanation for a crime.

"Well, you saw the incident during Tectonica's class." Amp continued, not waiting for Certo to reply. "And we know Titanus was there when Certo blew up the school."

"Thanks for the reminder." Certo grumbled under his breath.

"Titanus wanted to join Certo's brother." Every head turned to see Mateo standing in the doorway. He was trembling all over, tears frozen upon his cheeks.

"He saw how much he got to Certo during the last attack, and thought that if the two of them joined forces, they could kill Certo and then Crona would be his for the taking."

Certo growled, holding the egg close to his stomach. "I cannot wait to pound into that blue blunder's head that Crona is not a 'thing' he can just have at his beckoning command."

"Certo," Crona scolded giving him a stern glare. The black dragon ignored the look, but did his best to settle his anger.

"That fool." Kia hissed. "I'd be willing to bet his grandfather had a part in that."

Mateo only shook his head. "Volcanus doesn't know about it because we snuck away during the fight between..." The young dragon's voice trailed off as he glanced up at Nitrus and Kia, ashamed at having been associated against them.

"And what made you not refuse to go along?" Kia asked, narrowing her eyes at Mateo.

The ice dragon hung his head. "I... I don't know... I... was afraid Titanus would... would..."

"Would what?" Certo growled. Mateo lifted his head to see the black dragon's crimson eye fixed on him. "Where you afraid he would hurt you? Disown you? Because if that's the case, then you have no excuse."

"Certo!" Crona scolded, and Cryus tensed up on his pedestal.

Certo brushed off Crona's words and continued to stare hard at Mateo. "You're only excuse is that you were to weak. You don't have a strong will to do anything on your own. You've relied on that brute to do everything for you and because of that you have no willpower whatsoever."

"Do you have any idea what it's like if you stand up against him?" Mateo choked back a sob as more tears flowed to his eyes. "Frisco is in that condition because, he was the one who stood up to Titanus while we were wandering around in the middle of nowhere! Titanus cares nothing about others or what happens to them! He didn't even so much as shed a tear for Stagnite and Infirus! They were murdered right before our eyes! Mutilated in the worst possible way imaginable! Do you have any idea what that's like?"

Certo snarled and stood up, spreading his wings to face the ice dragon. "I watched those monsters murder my entire family right before my eyes. My own brother watched and laughed as my baby sister was torn apart, limb from limb in her sleep. My mother and father's skulls were bashed in while they slept and my older brother was stabbed in his head. That doesn't include Enigma, Siren or Star, because I didn't see what happened to them. My own brother who I thought I was showing love and compassion for, ordered me killed without a second thought!" The anger in his voice was beginning to rumble about the room and his scars began to glow. "You look at me and see these scars as a way of differentiating me from all of you! Each of these wounds goes deeper than you could ever possibly fathom!"

Mateo was stunned and frightened by the glowing dragon's testament. "I... I had no idea..." He gasped. "I'm sorry."

"Save it!" Certo hissed. "If you expect me to feel pity for you, then forget it. I never asked for pity and I frankly don't want it. If my heart goes out to anyone, it's those who have to suffer because others are either too weak to stand up for themselves, or too blinded by personal gain to care about others."

"But I'm not strong." Mateo sobbed, unable to hold back his tears any more. "I'm not like you."

Certo's hiss echoed down the halls, but he did not move an inch from his egg. "You listen to me, and you listen good. You saw for yourself that I could beat Titanus at his own game. You saw me do it three times! I never had to use my powers because I didn't have them at that point. You knew it was possible to beat him. You knew that you didn't have to abide by his every word. So don't come crying to me that you're not strong enough. If you have something blocking your path then don't sit down making excuses why you can't go through it. Go around the damned thing!"

"Certo, that's quite enough." Cytros intervened before the lecture could proceed any further. He turned to two of his guards and Mateo. "Young dragon, I want you and one of my guards to find your friend's family and inform them of what has happened."

"Yes sir." The lightning guard nodded and draped a wing around Mateo, ushering him along.

Before they exited the chamber, Mateo turned to look back at Certo. "I really am sorry Certo. I probably don't deserve to be pitied."

"You don't." Certo growled. " But if you expect me to forgive you in any way, you had better start working for the better of all dragon kind. Not just yourself."

Mateo paused for a moment, and Crona glanced at Certo out of the corner of her eye, her heart racing inside her chest. After a brief moment, Mateo bobbed his head slightly, indicating he would consider the black dragon's words.

As soon as they were gone, Cytros turned to the remaining fire guard. "Go find Lieutenant Voltrus. Have him organize a search party and seek out Titanus."

"Sir!" The sentry nodded and turned to leave.

"And one last thing." Cytros spoke up, stopping the guard in his tracks. "Tell him to stay on high alert at all times. If he, or anyone spots Volcanus, I want him arrested on the spot! Is that understood?"

"Yes sir!" The guards barked in unison.

"There we are." Kia announced, stepping back from the pile of pillows and blankets she had made into a nest. "All set."

"Are you sure this will be enough?" Certo asked as he inspected the sheets. The pillows had been organized underneath the seven different blankets which were wrapped in a spiral so Star's egg would be able to remain stationary while it incubated.

"Positive." Kia nodded proudly. "I chose the finest materials, just for you, to assure maximum heat retainment."

"You know Certo," Thundra spoke up. "That egg... I know it means a lot to you from what Crona has explained. But I just want you to know that it has been over six months since anyone has taken care of it."

"I know." The black dragon muttered softly as he stared at the egg resting against his pelvic bone as he sat on his haunches. "But this is... all I have left... I don't want to lose another family member... not without a fight this time."

"You know it wasn't your fault Certo." Crona murmured, placing a paw on his shoulder. Certo could not respond. He knew she was right, but who was really to blame? Neros? He had not always been the way he was now. Or had he?

Certo sighed as Thundra continued. "But on the bright side I can tell you that if it does hatch, you're going to have a beautiful little niece."

"A niece?" Certo asked, lifting his eyes from the egg to the lightning dragoness.

"It would make sense." Crona pointed out. "Lower temperatures generally mean females, and since it's only been insulated, rather than heated, we can almost completely assume it's going to be a girl."

"A girl." Certo mumbled, setting his paw on the egg. He stared at it's black shell for a long time, meanwhile the other dragons were getting restless.

"Well, I have to get back to the temple." Thundra spoke up. "Those young ones still need to be looked after."

"I'll escort you." Nitrus added and nodded to Kia and the three of them exited the room, leaving Crona, Amp and Certo alone.

"You know you can let it go now." Amp snickered as he watched Certo staring at the egg. He was slightly amused at the sudden emergence of the black dragon's parental insects.

"Amp, could you give us a minute?" Crona asked, politely trying to shoo the young male away.

"Aw, what for?" The guardian whined.

"We need to have a talk. No kids allowed."

"I am not a kid!" Amp protested crossly.

"You're younger than us, so that makes you a kid." Crona shot back. "Now beat it." Amp sulked and stomped off out of the room, grumbling to himself under his breath. When he was gone, Crona turned back to Certo who looked rather hesitant to release the egg. "He is right you know. Master Kia will be able to watch after it and keep it safe for you."

"I know." Certo murmured. "But..."

"You're worried about an attack, aren't you?" Crona watched as the black dragon's claws flexed, scraping against the rug on the floor. In actuality, Crona was worried about an attack herself. The apes were known to go right for the young dragonets in the hatcheries, knowing that the next generation would eventually grow to defy them and their malevolent master. These assaults always resulted in the slaughter of the apes themselves, but at a cost the white dragoness deemed too high to be considered acceptable; even one lost egg was barely enough for her to stand.

"It's not Kia I'm worried about Crona." Certo muttered. "It's Neros." He looked her in the eye with a look that was almost pleading, while trying to appear strong and determined. "Please, Crona. Whatever happens, he cannot know about this egg."

"I won't utter a single breath about it." Crona nodded, understanding where he was coming from.

"No, I mean it Crona!" Certo bad eye suddenly became ablaze with karma. "He cannot find out about Star's egg no matter what!"

"I said I..."

"Promise me!" Certo exclaimed, whipping his tail out, extending his blade towards the white dragoness, causing her to jump in alarm. Crona stared at the deadly weapon then to Certo. Never before had she seen him this serious about something other than his desire to kill his twin. "Promise me Crona." Certo whispered, his bad eye seemed to have a sad glow about it. "Please. I'm begging you." He lifted his blade higher towards her.

Crona suddenly understood his intention. He wanted to make a pact with her. She had read about this before in her books and seen other dragons do it for fun when she was young, but had never paid it any mind since she had always been the odd one out.

The white dragoness swiveled her hips around so she could wrap her tail around Certo's. His skin felt warm against hers, making her relax almost immediately. She bent her dark tail spade towards him and held her breath. No one had ever asked to form a pact with her before. Her eyes lifted from their tails to Certo's eyes. It was clear to her that she would still have to regain the trust she had lost.

A faint smile tugged at Certo's cheek, but nothing else formed beyond it. Crona's eyes grew wide as she watched him lean forward and her cheeks began to flush. Just as Certo opened his mouth, Crona halted time, freezing him in place, despite their tails still being intertwined. She had to take a few breaths to settle her pounding heart. "Crona, you're getting way too into this." She thought to herself. "You're going to have to go home sometime and he won't be coming with you. Don't let yourself start getting attached now." She looked into Certo's eyes as they stared at her tail spade. For several minutes she sat still, watching him, contemplating this decision. "But I do owe him this at least." She sucked in a deep breath and let out a long sigh before letting time resume its course.

Certo leaned in and clamped his jaws onto her tail spade. "Ouch!" Crona yipped as his sharp teeth pinched her skin. Certo looked up at her with an apologetic look on his face. Crona sucked in another deep breath and leaned in towards Certo's deadly blade. She opened her mouth, trying to mind the spearhead point which extended right at her. After a moment of hesitation, she bit down on the blade, her teeth clinking against the mercury. She clenched her jaw tighter, trying to instinctively make the black dragon feel the pinch that gripped her own tail spade.

As soon as Certo released her tail, she released her hold on his. She looked at her tail spade and the ten tooth marks which were now embedded into the cartilage. It was not bleeding but seeing her own tail in such a way made her feel a bit like she had gotten dirt on her. She looked up to see Certo inspecting his own blade. The dragoness had, in fact, left eight tooth indentations in the hardened spade.

The black dragon nodded his approval. "Thank you Crona."

"Sure." The dragoness muttered, trying to steady her breathing. She looked into Certo's bad eye, which was beginning to stop glowing. As it returned to its normal state, Crona squinted at it curiously. "Certo, you're eye's swollen."

"Hm," was all Certo could manage to utter.

"That couldn't have come from Neros." Crona spoke as she inspected the area around the black dragon's eye. "He doesn't leave bruises when he hits you."

"Crona." The black dragon pulled his head away to look her in the eye. "I'm sorry about what I said earlier... all those things... back at the gardens. I... I just."

"I'm sorry too Certo." Crona nodded sadly, glancing down at her feet to shuffle her talons nervously. "I don't really hate you... I just wasn't expecting to get hit with that much anger from you all at once."

"I shouldn't have hit you in the first place." Certo replied, looking down at Crona's neck. Thundra had given her some medicinal leaves to help heal the wounds she had received from Neros. "Is there any way for me to make it up to you?" He asked, lifting his stare to meet hers.

Crona only shook her head. "No, you don't have to do anything. It's done."

"No I mean it." Certo insisted, getting to his feet. "I meant what I said about helping you get home, but what I did was uncalled for. Can I please make it up to you?"

Crona was silent for a minute as she stared into the black dragon's eyes. He was dead serious about redeeming himself in her eyes, even though she did not feel it was necessary. She had always found the black dragon's sense of honor to be a few pages short of a full book. However, at this point she knew him well enough to know that rejecting the offer would possibly only result in either more damage to their relationship or him just following through with it anyways.

"I'll think about it." Crona finally answered before looking down at the egg resting between Certo's front paws. "But I think you should take care of your niece first."

Certo paused, staring blankly at the dragoness for a moment before looking down at the egg. He picked it up in his jaws and set it delicately into the nest of sheets Kia had constructed for it. After a moment of tucking it in, Certo stepped into the nest himself before curling around his niece. He nuzzled the shell, trying to imagine the dragonet inside. It still carried his sister's scent. Certo let out a sigh and closed his eyes to sleep.

Crona watched him for several minutes as he lay beside the egg, breathing steadily. He actually looked content, despite the memories this treasure carried with it. The white dragoness could not help but wonder what Certo had been like before his world had been turned upside down. In light of everything that had happened, Crona could not help but smile to herself, happy to see the black dragon resting peacefully at last.

"I'd be willing to bet my books that he'll make a great uncle." She thought to herself, then added, "Despite his personality quirks." She stepped onto the pillows, completely forgetting about everything else, and nestled down beside her friend. She nudged the egg with her snout. "Rest well little one." She whispered before closing her eyes and drifting off in a matter of minutes.

Some time passed before Amp grew impatient and walked back into the room. When he got there he completely discarded his irritation at being kept waiting and had to stifle a laugh.

As he crept out of the room he chuckled to himself and shook his head. "Those two are in such denial over each other."

Crona sighed as she stood at the edge of the cliff behind the academy grounds. It was not a stressed or depressed sound as it had come to be as of late, but refreshing. A gentle breeze grazed her skin, sending chills through her body as it tickled the membrane between her spines on her head and tail. For a long time she stared off into the distance, watching; for what she was not sure of. Certo had been stressed about the developing situation with Titanus, and even she was beginning to grow anxious because of it. From what she had learned from Mateo and the other survivors, Neros had rejected Titanus's offer to help get rid of Certo so that they both could get at her. But the dragoness, by now, had learned well that because these dragons were still alive, that Neros was planning something with them.

"Then we'll have to prepare ourselves for whatever may come." Cytros pointed out when she had brought this to his attention. "No sense in us not taking advantage of this. We may not know what they have in store for us, but we can better prepare and act accordingly when the time comes."

"I just hope we'll be ready enough." Crona muttered as she gazed out over the stretches of forest.

"Ready for what?" A voice from behind caused Crona to jump, stopping time with a startled squeak. The dragoness turned her head to see Cryus coming towards her, frozen in mid-stride.

"Cryus." Crona breathed, releasing time and placing a paw over her pounding heart. "Don't sneak up on me like that!"

"Sorry," the water dragon apologized sheepishly. "I wasn't trying to scare you." He walked over and sat down beside her. "What's on your mind if you don't mind me asking?"

Crona only shook her head. "Just thinking about what's going on. Titanus is such an idiotic and arrogant buffoon."

"Sounds like another dragon I know." Cryus thought to himself.

"What in the world makes him think that it was a good idea to seek out the one who has been attacking dragons with nothing but his own twisted logic fueling the bloodlust of thousands? He must have seriously lost his mind this time!"

"Well, what do you expect? He's been trying to get at you since day one. I think now he's starting to get desperate."

"I know he is!" Crona snapped. "But what do I have to do to be rid of him? Seriously! Not even Certo is as thickheaded as he is!"

"Speaking of which." Cryus shifted uncomfortably and averted his gaze for a moment. "Crona, I have to ask you something, and I'm hoping that the answer is not what I think it is."

Crona cocked her head curiously for a moment before figuring out what he wished to ask. "Is it about the egg?"

"Y-yes." The blue dragon felt his cheeks flush as he glanced at her out of the corner of his eye. "Is that really yours and Certo's. Or are you just saying it's not just to..."

"It's not!" Crona answered sharply, instinctively showing her teeth.

"Sorry, I'm sorry!" Cryus quickly apologized, flinching, expecting at any moment to receive a strike across his face for the inappropriate question. "I... I was just asking because... well I wanted to be there to support you... if it was I mean."

Crona seemed to relax a little, but the pink still clung to her cheeks. She looked at the young guardian for a long, hard moment. He really seemed to be acting sincere about what he had just said. "Thank you."

"What?" Cryus's brows jumped in surprise.

"For your concern," Crona continued. "I appreciate it."

"Well, I uh..." Cryus stammered, his cheeks burning with embarrassment. "You know. Was just trying to be there for you. I don't like seeing you cry like you did the other day so..."

Crona raised a brow. "You went and talked to Certo didn't you?" Cryus swallowed hard and turned his head away. "That's what I thought." The white dragoness narrowed her eyes at him. "You're the reason his eye was so swollen."

"It was?" Cryus lifted his head, surprised, and somewhat excited that he had managed to leave a noticeable mark on the black dragon of prophecy.

"It was...unnecessary." Crona bobbed her head slightly, but felt a smile tug at her cheek. "But like I said before, thank you. I don't know if Certo would have come after me if you hadn't talked to him."

"I would have." Cryus replied, suddenly sounding more composed. "I was looking for you myself actually. I was searching all over the forest and the city for you."

Crona felt the rest of her face ignite. "C-Cryus, you didn't have to. Everything turned out fine."

"But what if it hadn't?" Cryus shook his head, not wanting to think about what could have been. "What if I wasn't there to protect you when you were in danger? I never would have forgiven myself if something happened to you."

Crona gave an amused chuckle. "You don't need to worry about me. I can handle myself just fine."

"Even still. I worry about you. I think about you a lot and wonder if you're ever happy."

Crona paused to think for a moment. She could not believe what she was hearing from Cryus; again. He had not given up on her since the last time they had spoken. Part of her felt flattered, but every instinct in Crona's body told her that a male was not what she needed. She looked away from him, unsure of what to say. She had never particularly liked any of the guardians when she had first met them. However, she had to admit that Cryus was a nice young male who was persistent in what he wanted; without being a social nuisance like Titanus.

"Thank you for the concern Cryus." She finally spoke. "I guess I have been pretty unfair to you before in the past, haven't I?"

"N-no. Not at all."

"No, I really did treat you bad, especially when you were trying to be courteous back when Certo and I started attending lessons. I guess I was focusing on you as more of a guardian than as a friend." Crona sighed and looked at Cryus with an almost wishful expression, like she was hoping for something impossible. "You know, you make a better friend than a guardian. If you treated everyone the way you treat me, you'd be an amazing guardian. But you can't go around just judging Certo the way you do. I know he's been a jerk to you in the past but he's not the dragon you think he is. I've said it before and I'm saying it again for you."

"Crona, my duties as a guardian lie with protecting this city, with or without Volcanus. Even if Certo doesn't want the lives of everyone here, he still is a threat to our very survival. I know you've seen it for yourself."

"And that is exactly why I won't ever fully respect you." Crona said, rising to her feet. "You think you know everything based on what you see rather than what you learn by getting your feet a little dirty."

"What does that mean?" Cryus demanded, raising a brow.

"Think about it Cryus. I want you to use your head on this one. If you're ever going to meet your full potential as a guardian, I think it's important for you to figure this out on your own."

"Oh come on!" Cryus shouted. "Why should I..." He froze when Crona suddenly disappeared. In the blink of an eye, she was gone, leaving nothing but the wind to listen to him. "Damn it!" He cursed to himself, stamping the ground with his foot. "I thought I was doing it right that time!"

A couple days passed by quietly, much to Certo and Crona's surprise. Certo spent each day, waiting anxiously to hear of any news from the scout party Cytros had ordered to track down Titanus. Mateo, being in the best shape amongst Titanus's defectors, joined the group to show them the way. There had been no sightings of Volcanus or Tectonica anywhere which made the black dragon even more nervous with an egg around.

"Certo, you need to relax." Kia warned him. "Dragonets can sense when the parent is nervous by how much you move around the egg."

"But I'm not the parent." Certo protested, somewhat embarrassed and hurt at being scolded for something he had no idea what he was doing.

"True." Kia nodded. "But you are acting like it. You're taking the job of the mother right now and keeping it warm and protecting it." Certo felt his face immediately become hot and had to look away from his former instructor. Kia laughed and pat him on the back. "You're a great guardian Certo. Never doubt yourself for an instant."

Certo could only lower his head in embarrassment. He looked at his niece's egg and then to the spot Crona had been occupying for the past couple days. The black dragon sighed and lay his head down, nudging his niece with his cheek. His horns scraped against her thick shell and Certo was almost certain he heard a soft chirp inside, responding to his contact.

"Don't be too long little one." Certo murmured.

"Certo!" An excited voice shouted from the front of the dragoness's pavilion.

"Maya come back here!" Kia and Certo raised their heads and looked back towards the curtain covering the doorway. The sound of racing footsteps reached them and a moment later, Maya burst from under the blue fabric. Almost instantly, a larger lightning dragoness ducked under the sheet and snatched the young dragoness up in her jaws by the tail. Maya squealed as Thundra took hold of her in her large talons and gave her a scolding glare. "Young lady, this is not your home, you do not go barging into someone else's home unless invited to do so. Do i make myself clear?" Maya cringed and her eyes glossed over with tears. "Don't give me that look." Thundra snorted. "Now apologize to Master Kia." She set the little dragoness on the floor who kept her wings and tail tucked to her body in shame.

"I'm sorry, Master Kia." She whispered in an almost inaudible tone.

"It's quite alright." Kia snickered, glancing from the young dragoness to her mother. "I suppose, if anything, it will give Certo something to look forward to." The black dragon's eyes widened and he swallowed hard as the two dragoness's laughed amongst themselves.

Once she had stopped chuckling in amusement, Thundra turned to Certo. "I see Crona is out again?" He nodded. Thundra had been noticing that the two were spending a bit more time apart ever since they had brought back the egg. Secretly, Thundra was still rather suspicious about the egg's origins. However, she also trusted the two adolescent dragons to tell her the truth, thus putting her main concerns at ease.

"Let's have a look at your niece, shall we?" She stepped forward and Maya made a dash for Certo. Quick as lightning, Thundra snatched her youngest daughter up again and set her to the side. "You missy are on time out for barging in. Sit there until I tell you to move."

Maya's eyes began to grow wide as she tried to put on her best pouty-face. Thundra ignored the look and turned back to her task as Certo moved away from the black egg. For several long minutes, Thundra lifted the egg, inspecting the shell and its integrity, gauging the temperature and listening to the tiny heartbeat inside. As she continued to work, Maya began inching her way closer to where Certo sat in front of the railing. her mother was quick to notice but continued to remain focused on her inspection. When she was done, she set the egg back down, tucking the cloth in tighter around it.

"Is she okay?" Certo asked, anxiously. He preferred when Thundra talked during her inspections as she would mumble to herself, indicating how serious the situation might be.

"She's just fine." Thundra replied. "She's doing much better than before, and seems to be doing better every day."

"I'm guessing versatility is a strong trait in your family?" Kia piped up, glancing at her former student. Certo only gave a slight huff as he stared at his niece's egg. Versatile was not a work he would have chose for his family. not after everything that had happened since birth.

"But Certo, just so you know, when she does hatch, you will have to take extra care of her. More than normal." Thundra continued. "Because she was kept in such a cold place for so long, she has not had the warmth needed for young dragonets to grow while incubating."

"Is she not going to be healthy enough?" Certo asked, worriedly glancing at his niece.

"She'll be healthy enough when she hatches. But she's going to be smaller than normal hatchlings who have had constant heat while in incubation. So you will have to make sure she gets enough of the proper nutrients and vitamins necessary for her to grow in the early years of her life."

Certo continued to stare at the egg. The dark shell seemed to shine like his own glossy scales did in the sunlight, giving it an almost jewel-like glimmer. He already knew this was a treasure beyond anything he could have hoped for, but how could he hope to protect such a fragile thing when the source of all his troubles, was still loose out in the world?

Thundra, seeming to understand the situation being put on Certo, walked over, putting herself between him and Maya, and nuzzled him reassuringly. "Don't worry. We're all here to help you if you need anything whatsoever. you're part of our family now. And family help one another."

Certo's head snapped around and he stared at the dragon healer with utter shock in his eyes. He felt like an ape had stabbed him in the heart just then. How was it that these dragons knew what he wished his late family knew. Certo had to turn away from her. He wanted to cry with every part of his being, but his cold-hearted persona restrained him. "I'll never cry again." He thought to himself. "Ever."

"I'm back." Crona's voice called from the hallway. The dragons turned as she ducked under the curtain and stopped to stare at them with wide eyes. "Oh, am I interrupting something?" She nearly squeaked with embarrassment.

"No not at all." Kia shook her head. "We were just discussing what to do with Certo's niece once she hatches."

"And?" Crona turned to Thundra who nodded politely.

"She'll be just fine. And even better as long as Certo continues to take care of her."

"That shouldn't be too much of a problem." Crona bobbed her head approving the healer's announcement. She walked around the room until she was beside Certo with Maya trying to sneak through her mother's legs to get at the young male. As she sat down Certo noticed the look in her eyes, almost as if she had something pressing on her own mind as well. The dragoness forced a smile and gave a slight shake of her head. They would talk later.

"So Certo, I'm curious." Kia spoke up, grabbing the couple's attention. "Have you thought of a name for your niece?

The black dragon stared with an empty expression at the air dragoness. He had never considered a name, despite being her only family guardian. Certo had to look at the floor, mildly ashamed of never taking the thought into consideration.

Beside him, Crona glanced at him sidelong, a bit taken aback herself that he had not thought of anything. "Maybe I stand corrected about his parental instincts." She thought to herself as she watched him mull over an answer. He seemed to sense her thoughts and turned to her with a guilty look, pleading for help. Crona paused time again, giving him a chance to speak.

"What do I do?" He whimpered. "I don't know how to be a parent. I never thought I'd be..." His voice trailed off for a moment. "Alive long enough... to take care of a child."

Crona sighed and shrugged. "I don't know anything about parenting myself Certo, sorry."

Certo's jaw dropped and his eyes widened. "But... I thought you were thousands of years old? You didn't have one child during any of that time?"

The dragoness's face burned red and she curled her lip at him. "What? No!" She snapped. "Do I look like the type of girl who is into that sort of thing?" Certo opened his mouth to respond but paused before any sound could come out of his mouth. His instinct restrained him from answering. All he knew was Crona now. He didn't know her in her other lives. If she was thousands of years old, wouldn't that mean she was around right now somewhere? If so, what would it mean if they met each other? What would her offspring be like if she did have a mate? Would they be entities like her?

Certo looked her over, from her short neck to her busty chest, to her slim midsection leading to her thicker hips and muscular tail. Her larger than average paws gave her an almost tom-boyish appearance to her otherwise feminine figure.

Crona noticed his staring and her cheeks flushed even deeper and a growl resonated in her throat. "You know what, never mind." She hissed, bringing his attention back to her. "I know you have something on your mind right now but I'm certain I..."

"I'm sorry." Certo interrupted. "I just thought...well... since you're so much smarter and, for lack of a better term, older, that you would have some knowledge or experience with this sort of thing. I didn't mean any offense by it."

"Sure you didn't." Crona rolled her eyes in disgust, releasing her hold on time, ending their private conversation.

"Perhaps something meaningful." Thundra pondered aloud. "Maybe name her after her mother."

"No!" Certo snapped rather suddenly, startling the others. "No, I don't want her named after Star. I don't want her to grow up behaving as her mother did towards… towards others who are different."

The females all felt a pang of guilt in their hearts. They knew Certo did not like talking about his past or his family, but none of them had ever suspected that he held such negative feelings towards them. For the briefest of seconds, Crona thought she caught another glimpse of Neros inside him.

Thundra leaned down to nudge the black dragon again. "I understand that you do not wish for your niece to make the same mistakes as your family. But ultimately, what she does and who she becomes will depend on how she is raised."

"Plus, I think it would be important if she eventually knew." Kia added in, a bit hesitant since her knowledge of Certo's past was limited to minor details. "It may do her some good to know the why you have your…ideals."

Certo only hung his head to think. Beside him, crona was finding herself in her own personal conflict. In her eyes, Certo was not ready for such a responsibility. Raising a hatchling would require almost all of his time instead of fighting. It would mean he would most likely be out of harms way, but what would that do to his spirit?

"Maybe naming her after her mother may not be the right choice." Thundra suggested, looking up to meet Kia's concerned expression. "But if you wanted to honor the memory of your family in some way… Perhaps there is a family trait that you all shared?"

Certo shook his head. "Besides being all black, there wasn't much we had in common. But then my family's bloodline was known for our specialty attack."

"Which is what?"

"We have strong lungs and vocal chords. So rather than giving bursts of wind for our breath attacks, we can create sonic blasts that can shatter even stone if we're strong enough."

Kia bobbed her head slightly. She remembered seeing this when they had encountered Neros on the outskirts of the city. The memory of the trees exploding in to splinters was proof that this young dragon would become a very powerful fighter once he reached maturity. "Maybe if you keep that little trait in mind, it may help you come up with something."

Another sigh escaped from the young dragon's maw. He couldn't think of a name that would deem his niece as part of his family without reminding him of her origins. Perhaps it was not possible for him to forget his past, no matter how hard he wished or tried.

A growl suddenly stopped any further suggestions from the females around him. Crona gave him an astonished look, her eyes growing wide. She half expected to see his scars light up with karma any second now. Beside him, Maya looked up at the older male with a frightened look in her eyes. "Why would I want to do that?" Certo's growl seemed to distort his voice slightly as he stared at the floor. "I've been trying to forget everything they did. Everything that happened to them." He glanced around the circle of dragons with a dismal look on his face.

In that brief moment Crona caught another glimpse of Neros's bitterness inside her friend. The twins shared more in common than she could have ever realized. They both despised their family for what they had done and they both held the other responsible for their current state. It frightened the young chronicler to think that Certo might become like his twin, but she quickly disregarded those thoughts on the spot.

"Certo," Kia spoke, walking towards her pupil and leaning down until her snout was level with his. "I think that you have to come to term with your past if you ever wish to be at peace with yourself."

"At peace with myself?" Certo raised a skeptical brow. "You mean like some sort of meditation or something?"

The air dragoness sighed. "You seem to have very strong and negative feelings towards your family. Merely trying to forget them, won't make the pain go away. It will only make you forget why you're miserable the rest of your life."

"It will never go away." Certo hissed, averting his eyes from the guardian. He could feel himself growing hot from the inside just thinking about everything he had been through.

"Then how about naming her something special?" Thundra piped up, drawing the attention away from Certo directly. "A new beginning for this dragonet may be the first step. By giving her a fresh start, it may help you move on yourself."

The black dragon just shook his head. "I can't think of anything that would let me forget where she comes from." He lifted his gaze to look at the egg. It was so quiet, peaceful. Unaware of the dangers going on all around it. It would have no idea how it had been saved or why. Certo's claws dug into the floor. "My family. The were self-centered and cruel. Because something…someone wasn't normal in their eyes, they felt that it was needed to leave him on his own, to fend for himself. I was the glorified offspring. But Neros was even more skilled and special than me. And they couldn't see it because they never gave him a chance. And now hundreds and thousands will have to suffer because of their selfish ways. I…" A tear suddenly appeared at the rim of Certo's eye. "I can't forgive them for that. It wasn't fair."

"Life's not fair." A gentle paw came to rest upon his shoulder. Certo turned his head to stare down into Crona's soft blue eyes. He seemed to calm down upon seeing her; if anyone in the world knew what he was talking about, it was her.

"I suppose you're right." Certo murmured. "But it doesn't make living it any easier."

"We know." Thundra whispered, nuzzling him and draping her wing around the young dragons in a gentle hug. "But don't forget that you still have us. And we are here whenever you need us."

Another sigh was all that Certo could manage to reply with as he stared at his niece in the nest of blankets. he wanted her to have a special name with all his heart. But no matter how much he thought about it, he could not bring himself to try harder.

The sound of heavy wings beating the wind grabbed the attention of the dragons. A shadow passed over the balcony outside the room and a moment later, Nitrus came to a landing. The dark expression on his face sent a chill down Crona's spine.

"Kia, we need you at the council chambers immediately."

"Of course." The air guardian nodded, moving around Thundra and the youngsters. "What seems to be the trouble?"

Nitrus let out a low sigh and a cloud of frost shot from his nostrils. He glanced at Certo then to his mate and finally back to his colleague. "Let's just say we have a situation."

"Is it Titanus?" Certo asked, anxiously jumping into the conversation. This was the most lively the black dragon had been in days.

The guardian of ice stared at him for a second, pondering whether or not he should say anything. After some considerable thought he opened his mouth. "It's Volcanus." Certo and Crona both felt their joints lock and their eyes widened in terror. Seeing that the two of them were too stunned to speak, Nitrus turned nodded to his mate before turning back to launch himself off the balcony with Kia close behind.

"Oh dear," Thundra muttered, pulling maya closer to her.

"Why me?" Certo bowed his head in defeat. "Why everyone?"

Crona raised a paw and stomped hard on his front foot inciting a yelp from her friend. "How many times must I say it Certo? It's not your fault! None of this is! So drop the whole bit about blaming yourself for other's actions!"

"But so many suffer because of it. I weren't here then..."

"Don't you dare start that again. Volcanus is a manipulative tyrant and you know it. Stop thinking that it's your fault or by the ancestors, i'll beat it out of you!" Certo was silent, unable to argue with her. He hated when she was this forceful with her arguments because there was no way he could respond with a valid excuse. Seeing that she had won another argument with him, Crona smiled and emerged into the sunlight out on the balcony. "Come. Let's go see what's going on?"

"But Crona, I…"

"But what Certo?" The dragoness demanded, looking back over her shoulder. She was starting to get irritated with him but then noticed he was staring at his niece's egg. "Oh," she muttered foolishly. She glanced up at Thundra with an almost pleading, sympathetic look in her eyes. Crona had to immediately force herself to look away, ashamed of asking such a favor from the busy healer.

Immediately, the lightning dragoness caught on to what she was asking and gave a gentle, motherly smile. "I can wait here watch after her until you return."

"Are you sure?" Certo asked, nervously, glancing out at the city beyond the balcony.

"As long as you two don't take too long." She urged.

"Thank you Thundra." Crona bowed graciously, thankful for the dragoness's kindness. She waited for Certo to join her, and after a brief, hesitant pause, he did.

"I want to go too!" Maya announced, bounding after Certo.

"No Maya, you're staying with me." Thundra ordered, blocking her path with an outstretched wing. "This is Certo and Crona's business and you need to leave them be for now."

"But I want to be with Certo!" The young dragoness whined. Tears were forming around the rims of her eyes as she pleaded with her mother.

"They have their own things to do now Maya. Leave them be and stop bothering them."

"But I'm not!" Maya then burst into tears

"Maya, stop it this instant, do you hear me?" Thundra scolded in a harsh tone that the two older dragons had never seen from her before. Deep down it made them frightened to think what she was really like when she was angry. But her scolding only caused Maya to cry harder. The healer was about to lash out at her youngest daughter with her words again when she felt something brush against her wing. Certo stood over Maya with a stern look in his eyes as if he were ready to discipline her himself.

"Maya." He growled. The young dragoness sniffled a few times before settling down enough to look him in the eyes. "This world is a lot more dangerous than you think it is. It's dangerous to be around here as it is. If you went with us, and something happened to you, what would your mother and father say? How could i look them in the eye and tell them that I let something happen to you?" Off to the side, Crona and Thundra felt a stab of pain in their hearts. They remembered when Neros had first attacked the city and Certo had been severely wounded protecting Maya at the gardens. "Now will you be a good girl and wait for us here? Please?"

Maya sniffled and wiped her snout with the back of her paw. "I guess." She pouted, not too pleased that the dragon she looked up to was even telling her to stay behind.

"Thanks." Certo bent his head down and nuzzled her as he used to when Ana was still alive. "And in the meantime, I have a really important favor to ask of you." Maya looked back into Certo's eyes curiously studying his expression. "I want you to watch over my niece for me when i'm not around, understood? It's a dangerous and cruel world out there and I want you to be the one to protect her from those who wish her harm. When she hatches, I want you to be her best friend and look after her. Can you do that for me?"

"Yes!" Maya chirped excitedly, spinning in a circle. She snapped her head forward and gave a quick, loving lick on Certo's cheek. Then she whirled around and trotted proudly over to Certo's niece and lay down beside the egg and stared back at the black dragon like a dog protecting it's bone.

Certo and Crona both smiled. "Maybe he will be a good influence after all." Crona thought to herself.

"Thank you Certo." Thundra murmured, folding her wing back to her side. "You two had best go now. I don't know how long she'll be able to keep this up before she gets bored."

"Understood." Certo nodded, before turning and hustling after Crona. The two leaped off the balcony and glided down the hill towards the counsel chambers in the city's central plaza.

As they banked towards the temple of the guardians, Certo's wing tips quivered anxiously. Just hearing Volcanus's name was enough to make his scales rattle uncomfortably.

"Are you alright?" Crona asked. She sensed a disturbance in the wind, signaling the black dragon's discomfort.

Certo only responded with a mild shrug that almost wen t unnoticed as he beat his wings to stay aloft. The news of Volcanus being captured was somewhat of a relief to him. But with his niece in such a fragile and vulnerable state, he could not help but notice the queasy feeling in his stomach. If the former fire guardian found out that he now had kin residing within the city's walls, he was almost certain that his niece's life would be in danger. Certo flexed his claws and grit his teeth as if expecting an attack at any moment now. He would die before he let anyone harm his last remaining family member.

The central plaza soon came into view and the couple could see an enormous gathering of the city's residents outside the council chambers. Certo and Crona paused to hover overhead and survey the area. Civilians lined the streets, all trying to crane their necks over each other at the line of guards making a walk way to the guardian's temple.

"There!" Crona pointed to the east at a procession of dragons walking towards the temple. A squad of six armored dragons surrounded what was unmistakably the former guardian of fire.

"I don't see Tectonica anywhere." Certo muttered with a frown.

Crona began grinding her teeth nervously. The memory of the earth dragoness's assassination attempt was still fresh in her mind. "Let's go in for a closer look." She suggested, diving towards the edge of the crowd. The plaza was buzzing with commotion and it took the two young dragons several minutes to push and weave their way through the forest of legs and bodies. Crona was small enough to move in between the older dragons, being careful not to get stepped on. In her mind, being so much smaller than other dragons was more of an annoyance than a blessing. When they were close enough to the main temple, they could hear the clinking of the armored sentries as they walked along the streets. The two young dragons emerged from the crowd and stood between a pair of the guards who glanced down quickly, ready to push them back into the sea of bodies, but stopped when they recognized who they were.

"Are you sure you want to be here Certo?" One of them asked, giving a quick glance to see how close the escort was.

"I'll be fine." Certo nodded, subconsciously scooting closer to Crona in case he needed her ability to control time to help him out. The white dragoness gave him a concerned look and was about to speak when he shook his head, silencing her. The sounds of metal clanking in unison with footsteps grabber their attention back to the guards. Volcanus towered over most of the younger guards making Certo and Crona feel somewhat uncomfortable should the fire dragon decide to go awol. The group was led by Captain Cytros who spotted the young couple out of the corner of his eye as he passed by. It was easy to spot the stark contrast in their coloration amongst the rest of the crowd. The expression on his face did little to reveal whether they would have anything to worry about or not, and only added to the sickening churning of Certo's intestines.

As the escort passed by, Certo and Crona's eyes fixated on the towering blue dragon. Crona's expression turned into a disgusted scowl. The blue fire-breather seemed to sense her stare and turned his massive head in her direction. For a moment, Volcanus's eyes locked with Certo's. The elder dragon's eyes seemed to be hiding a ferocious fire behind them, as if waiting for the perfect moment to burst forth and engulf the young black dragon. Certo's heart began racing in such a way that it hurt to breathe. A forceful shove from one of the escorts broke the stare and Volcanus was ushered along.

"Keep moving." The sentry ordered.

Crona continued to glare at the blue dragon, unaware that he had not been focusing on her until she heard the sounds of heavy breathing beside her. She turned her head to see Certo standing on legs as stiff as a tree trunks and eyes wide in terror. He did not realize that he was gasping so heavily until Crona nudged him with her wing barbs. "Certo?" He turned to face her and Crona could see he was trembling all over. His lower lip was quivering and his tail blade rattled against the stone streets. He having not witnessed the silent struggle that had gone on between the tow in that brief instant, she glanced back at Volcanus suspiciously as he disappeared inside the temple. The dragoness turned her gaze back to the young male beside her. The ever slight rattle of his scales, his shaking, the waver in his eyes denoted a sign she had never seen in him before. Fear. There was little to no doubt in her mind that was what she saw as he turned away from her to look at the temple entrance.

Afraid that she would incite the attention of the city guards by touching him, Crona moved in front of the male instead to catch his attention. She lowered her voice and leaned up towards his face. "Certo? What's wrong? Are you alright?" She had a good idea why he was in this frightened state. Volcanus was one of Certo's biggest opposers with the most influence on those who surrounded the black dragon. It may not have been the sight of the fire dragon that scared him, but his political power was something to be concerned about.

Certo blinked as he recovered from his out-of-body-experience. He felt slightly dizzy but was determined to find out what was going on inside the temple. "I'm fine." He lied, not caring if he fooled her or not. "Let's find out what's going on."

A frown spread across Crona's muzzle. She had gotten quite good at detecting when Certo was trying to hide his information from her. However, she bobbed her head, despite the uneasy feeling creeping up her spine. "Sure. We probably should, at any rate."

Certo wanted to force a smile to assure her he was alright, but he knew there was no hiding how he felt from her at this moment. He moved away from the crowd, who was still mumbling to each other in confusion.

"Where's Tectonica?"

"Where is Volcanus's grandson?"

"Are they planning on doing anything?"

"I wouldn't be surprised."

"What if they try and attack that poor young dragon again?"

"That was barbaric of them. The poor thing had barely survived dying once and they made an attempt on his life. And in broad daylight."

"Of all the nerve!"

"Any idea what the guardians will do?"

"I suppose we will have to wait and see."

"Absolutely disgraceful."

Crona was trying not to look up at the voices overhead. It only fueled her anger at what the guardians had done. All she could do was try and ignore the eye that stared down at her and Certo as they crept up to the front entrance where three more guards stood. Both sentries nodded politely upon recognizing them.

"May we go in?" Crona asked trying to sound as innocent and sweet as possible in the tense situation.

The adults gave each other a quick glance, not sure whether or not to allow them entrance. "If you're thinking about going in, you may want to consider otherwise." The dragon on the left murmured as he leaned his head down towards them. "Things may get a bit… intense."

Certo looked at Crona, waiting for her to be the deciding factor on whether or not they should listen in on what was to become of Volcanus. Knowing full well what he intended, Crona returned the stare, forcing the black dragon to decide for himself. With a low sigh, Certo nodded that he understood the seriousness of the situation. The sentries gave one last glance at each other before stepping aside and allowing the couple to slip into the temple.

Inside it was warm; almost hot even. Crona crouched low to the floor, trying to get away from the hot, thick air that hung over their heads. Ahead of her, Certo crept down the hall almost silently, allowing only the pads of his paws to touch the floor, preventing any unnecessary clicking from his claws. Crona narrowed her eyes at him as she continued to keep up. What she saw in his eyes outside worried her, not for her own sake but his. Was he hiding something from her again?

The sound of voices brought the white dragoness out of her private thoughts and back to reality. Certo stopped just outside the conference room in the shadows of the torches and open doors. The black dragon was nearly invisible except for what little light managed to catch his glossy scales. Crona slipped up beside him and hunkered down low to the floor. Inside, they could hear the voices of the guardians as well as Cytros.

"It is good to see you are all well." Volcanus spoke calmly as if nothing of interest were going on.

"Indeed," Nitrus replied, the icy hostility in his voice could not have been more blatant. "Why have you returned Volcanus? You had best not be here to start more trouble."

"On the contrary." Volcanus shook his head. "I am here because I have been searching the surrounding forest for my grandson but have found no trace of him. I merely returned in order to inquire if he has been present within the city's… new walls." He spoke the with a sense of disdain at the design Crona had come up with.

The guardians exchanged glances. Nitrus and Kia did not look particularly sold on this claim being the sole reason the fire-breather had returned. Amp turned to look at Cryus who refused to look him in the eye and only stared at the former fire guardian surrounded by guards. Across the room, on his crystal pedestal, Sin sat cross-legged, watching the interrogation before him.

"We have not seen your grandson since…" Kia's voice trailed off, not sure if she should bring up the fight which the fire-breather had ignited between Certo and Neros.

"Since the black dragon nearly wiped you all out?" Volcanus asked with a subtle hint of insolence in his voice.

"Yes," Nitrus replied. The growl in his voice seemed to only add to the tension in the room. "We have not seen him since. But perhaps you can explain something to us."

"And what would that be?" The fire dragon's orange eyes fixed themselves on the guardian of ice.

Nitrus leered at his former colleague. He was not liking the smug attitude he was giving with all the chaos that was going on around them. "What do you know about your grandson attempting to join forces with the enemy?"

Volcanus seemed to be genuinely confused at the claim. "I beg your pardon?"

"Your grandson. He has been reported to have made an attempt to side with Neros and the apes who have been attacking our city!" Kia hissed, a chilly breeze blowing from between her clenched teeth and into the halls. The torches flickered and Crona shuddered, huddling closer to Certo. The black dragon paid her no attention.

"That is preposterous!" Volcanus spat, a tuft of flame flying from his maw. The guards tensed their muscles should they have to subdue the fire-breather. "My grandson would never do such a thing! What right have you to suggest something so outrageous? Where is your proof?"

"His gang for one." Ampus spoke up but was quickly silenced by Nitrus with an extended wing, cutting him off.

"Captain, if you will?" Nitrus thrust his head towards Cytros who bowed respectfully.

"Ampus is right. Those young dragons who used to follow him have confirmed that he did in fact make contact with the enemy and attempted to form an alliance to murder Certo and capture Crona."

"Those young minds must be confused. Besides, is it not the eradication of the black dragon which is needed for our ever-lasting peace and stability? And what could they possibly want with the white female? She's of no use to anyone other than that black feral."

"That black feral, saved my entire defensive force." Cytros snarled, turning so that only one red eye focused on the blue fire dragon. "Not to mention most of the city's population."

"And how many have perished since, Captain?" Volcanus asked, tilting his head questioningly. "How many more must die until you finally see that trouble will always follow that beast around. That white female only encourages you all to 'befriend him' but at the same time, she is only leading you all to your certain deaths."

"That's not true!" Amp snapped, jumping to his feet. "Certo and Crona have been nothing but helpful to us in trying to assist the guards in protecting our city! If anyone has died it's because of you!"

"Ampus that's enough!" Nitrus shot the young guardian a heated look. Amp turned a sympathetic look on his father in-law before sitting back down on his haunches. "Certo may bring trouble with him. The prophecy has proven that much. But he has not made any attempt to harm anyone and always lends his assistance in driving the enemy from our home whenever they should happen to attack."

"Don't you see, if he was no longer around,then you would not have to worry about the threat of another attack coming?" Volcanus demanded in a belittling manner; not only to Certo but to the ice dragon as well.

"That young dragon does not need to be exiled any more than he already has been." Kia snorted. "Even if it means we have to stop a thousand attacks." She glanced at Nitrus out of the corner of her eye. He gave a slight bob of his head, approving her choice to speak. "We will not abandon him, especially in these dangerous times."

"I see you have been listening to the white one as well." Volcanus narrowed his fiery orange eyes at her. "Tell me, what is their relationship?" Crona and Certo's joints stiffened on impulse. "Are they working together for the better of the city? Or is the female manipulating him and the rest of you as well."

"Crona is not the threat here." Sin suddenly spoke up, instantly silencing everyone in the room. "She comes from years of experience and it will be because of her that dragons have a chance of surviving this great war."

"Master Oracle." Volcanus turned to speak respectively. "Were you not the one who spoke of this terrible tragedy when Master Nitrus took his eldest daughter to see you? Did you not say…"

"I am well aware of what I said." Sin interrupted, holding up a paw. "But my visions are of what is to come. Not what may come."

"So why have you not explained to your fellow council that the vision has come true?"

Sin shook his head. "There is no need to explain what is blatantly obvious old friend. My fellow dragons can already see what is going on around them, and they are doing all that they can to survive during these dangerous and fearful times."

"They are doing everything except ridding the city of the threat itself." Volcanus pointed out. "Surely even you, a great and gifted seer as yourself can attest to that."

Sin closed his eyes and seemed to go into a state of deep concentration. The temple became eerily silent except for the hum of the noise outside. Crona stared hard through the crack in the doorway at the oracle. Was he really trying to look into the future? And if so for what? Beside her, Certo was barely breathing, trying not to give himself away with his disrupted element. His eyes remained locked on Sin as well. He had never paid the white, wingless dragon any attention, largely due to the fact that he made himself scarce to be seen around at all. However, the harder and longer he stared at him, the more he began to wonder whose side he was on?

After what felt like an eternity to the young dragons, Sin opened his eyes to look up at the towering blue fire-breather. "I see no immediate threat within our city. Certo is no threat to dragons as a race."

"You must be mistaken." Volcanus almost scoffed openly.

"Indeed I am not mistaken." Sin expounded more forcefully. "I have heard the whispers from the future. Certo is of no threat to anyone."

"But the war is already upon us!" Volcanus suddenly snapped taking a step towards the oracle. On reflex the guards pushed him back, should he make an attempt to lunge for him. "That feral will be the death of our entire race if he is not brought down and restricted from…"

"Certo will be a large influential figure during the early years of this war. But he will not be remembered forever." Crona felt her heart stop briefly, shocked and appalled at Sin's words.

"And what sort of influence will he have on our kind? Will they continue to march blindly alongside him while more attacks keep coming? Or will they see that he is the cause of all problems for dragons and walk along their own path."

"The dragons of this city, are already walking along their own path. Certo has shown them that with the aid of his friends. Dragons are free to decide what they want their destinies to be and soon the entire world will fall in with this in mind."

Volcanus stared at Sin for a tense moment, making the guards feel rather uncomfortable. Sensing this, Cytros spoke up to bring everyone's attention back to the matter at hand. "Now that we have that clarified by Master Oracle, we can return to why we are here." Volcanus turned back to face the fire dragon. "Volcanus, because of your actions, we have had to strip you of your rank, banish you from our society and, due recent events must now put you on trial before the guardians."

"You cannot hope to try me and call it justified." Volcanus would have laughed aloud if it were not for his discipline restraining him. "A trial of the guardians demands that all guardians must be present."

"All guardians are present." Kia hissed. "Now silence, please."

"Captain," Nitrus spoke up. "What are the charges?"

Cytros nodded and reached into a leather strap under his wing where a scroll had been rolled up and tucked in securely. He unrolled the paper before them and began reading. "Former fire guardian Volcanus is charged with unjust and discriminatory action, mall practice of government and political affairs." He glanced at the blue dragon out of the corner of his eye. "Assaulting the city guard, assaulting the guardians, juvenile harassment, manipulation and endangerment, destruction of public property and attempted assassination."

"Assassination? That is completely outrageous!" Volcanus suddenly exploded, his voice thundering throughout the temple. "What sort of accusations are you concocting in order to stain my good name?" Amp was ready to lash out at the elder but restrained himself, fearing another verbal criticism from nitrus.

"Former guardian of earth, Tectonica, was witness assaulting Certo and Crona in their chambers at the library." Cytros explained, not at all amused by the fire-breather's phony ignorance. "She destroyed much of the lower levels as well as tried killing the two young dragons. Master Ampus was critically wounded during the encounter as you can see." Cytros gestured towards Amp who still had Thundra's medicinal leaves covering his healing wound. The lightning dragon was able to move about more freely now with considerably less pain, but was still reminded of how much he need to still recover each time he got up or sat down.

"Are you attempting to hold me responsible for the actions of another dragon, Captain?" Volcanus growled, leering at the fire guard.

"That is exactly what I am doing." Cytros turned a fierce look on his opponent. "Until proven otherwise, you will be held accountable for the actions of you, your grandson and Tectonica as well."

"You cannot possibly consider this a fair and just trial." Volcanus was ready to spit flames into Cytros's face.

"Fair has never taken any sort of priority with you Volcanus." Nitrus argued. "You knew what Certo being here meant to me and my family, yet you insisted that he reside in my household. I know now that i had nothing to fear from him, but at the time you insisted on it. And need I'm ashamed to think that i was even involved with trying to prosecute Certo after the incident at the academy when everyone in this room knows full well what your grandson does to others he feels are inferior."

"My grandson does not reflect his teachings very well." Volcanus started but nitrus cut him off with a raised paw.

"He does not reflect any of his teachings, because you do not enforce it. You allow him to bully others and control them through fear and manipulation as you do. And to think he would have become your replacement one day."

"I have spoken to my grandson before about his behavior Nitrus." Volcanus hissed, smoke escaping from his nostrils. "He is old enough to make decisions on his own."

"Hardly." Kia spat, blowing the smoke out of the room. "He may be larger than other dragons his age but he still has the mentality of a hatchling."

"You watch your mouth air guardian!" Volcanus snarled taking a step towards Kia's pedestal. "Or you will find out first hand what happens when you insult my kin."

"You have no power or influence here Volcanus." Cytros snarled before Kia could retaliate with her own slashing remark. "You are being held responsible for everything that happens because of your grandson and Tectonica. We have had three young dragons murdered and one severely maimed because Titanus was willing to sacrifice them to get at Certo and Crona. These lives are on both your heads, and I don't think you could care less about it!"

"Captain, that's enough!" Nitrus's voice came quick and sharp, snatching Cytros back from the brink of rage.

Cytros blinked as if waking up from a dream and bowed regretfully before Nitrus and the other guardians. "Forgive me Master Nitrus. I know it is not my place to judge, but I do feel that until we can come up with a fitting sentence for…" He looked over his shoulder at Volcanus with a disgusted leer. He wanted nothing more than to belittle the fire dragon to the level he had done to Certo. But he remembered that when he went to the young dragon after placing the former guardians under house arrest, he had not made any attempt at taking revenge on them for how he was treated. "For Volcanus. I would recommend… nay, I request that he be detained in the prison for the time being."

Nitrus stared hard at Cytros for a long moment before turning to Kia. "What do you think? Until we can settle this officially?"

"If it will allow for a more informed and well thought out decision on our part, then I suppose time in the prisons may help." She gave Volcanus a poisonous glare before looking at Sin. "Master Oracle, anything more from you today?"

"I believe i have said enough." Sin shook his head. "The rest is up to you as a collective."

"And what about you young guardians?" Nitrus asked, finally allowing Ampus and Cryus to speak.

"I think imprisonment is the least he deserves." Amp muttered, gritting his teeth tightly. "But I suppose it will suffice for the time being."

Nitrus was hesitant to scold his son in-law for his temper but this was not the time or place for such action. "And you Master Cryus?"

Every eye fell upon the water dragon, including Certo and Crona's. The blue dragon's scarred eye seemed to reflect the warring battle within him, both wanting to be a loyal and faithful guardian, but also wanting to do what was right.

"If you do not wish to answer, we understand." Nitrus assured him. "You have the right to object or even offer a better solution if you have thought of one." Cryus remained silent as he stared at his paws in silent thought.

"Come on Cryus," Crona thought to herself. "Say something."

At last the water guardian raised his head. "I vote in favor of Volcanus being sentenced to detention until further notice."

"Then it is unanimous." Nitrus bobbed his head, approving the young male's judgement. "Captain, if you would be kind enough to escort Volcanus down to the prison, we may take a short recess before returning to decide what to do."

Cytros bowed again as did the other sentries. Volcanus only stared at Nitrus, his eyes seemingly unblinking in the dimly lit room. Cytros turned and walked past his fellow sentries towards the great iron doors. Seeing that they were coming, Certo quickly backed away from the cover of the doorway.

"Come on, let's go." He whispered, making sure he was not heard.

"I'm right behind you." Crona replied softly, following him out of the shadows. She let him get a couple paces ahead of her before halting time in its place and turning back to the conference chamber. Inside, the guardians were frozen along with Volcanus and the sentries. Crona walked over to the crystal pedestal and stared Sin in the eye. The oracle stared back at her blankly. It had been some time since they had last spoken or even seen one another. "So what's going on now Sin?" The dragoness demanded. "What's Volcanus got planned this time?"

"What do you mean?" The male cocked his head curiously at her, somewhat perplexed by her question. "Are you fearing that another attempt may be made on Certo's life?"

"That, and this whole bit with Titanus and Neros. What are they up to and what do we do about it?"

"My dear Crona, everything is happening as it should." Sin waved a dismissive paw and shook his head. "As far as Titanus and Certo's kin are concerned, you will find out shortly yourself."

Crona narrowed her eyes at him. "You know I hate it when you give me nothing but riddles when i ask questions, right?"

Sin only gave a grin, trying his best to be modest. "You may have mentioned it once or twice before. But I will tell you this one thing."

"Any information is better than no information as long as it's not misinformation." Crona sighed, her patience growing thin already.

The oracle could not help but chuckle at her comment. "Clever. But in the events to come, Certo will be drawing ever closer to his destiny. And he will need you there by his side if you wish to return to your own time, safe and sound."

Crona paused for a moment as the thought over his words. "Was I in danger of leaving his side? Because I don't plan on abandoning my friend if that's what you're suggesting."

"I'm saying this for your sake Crona. Not his."

"Thanks," Crona grumbled, rolling her eyes. She turned to start walking away when she saw Sin suddenly appear in front of her. The dragoness gave a startled squeak and swung a paw on reflex. She stopped herself just before her talons made contact with the side of the oracle's head. Sin did not so much as blink. "Don't do that!" Crona snapped after gasping a couple times.

"Remember Crona. I know you've had it tough. But don't forget that Certo has too." Crona blinked and Sin was back on his pedestal. She turned to look at him over her shoulder, feeling a tad uneasy about his abilities as a fellow entity. "Remember who your friends are. They are your key."

"I understand." Crona bobbed her head, telling only a partial truth. "Thank you Sin."

"The pleasure is all mine my dear." A faint hint of a smile tugged at his cheek as he watched her leave and follow after Certo in the hallway. Crona released her hold on time and followed Certo out into the blinding sunlight. They ducked under their wings to let their eyes adjust to the glare. Both dragons passed the sentries guarding the entrance, silently thanking them for allowing them access to the meeting. The guards nodded politely as they watched them disappear into the crowd.

Thundra sat patiently beside the nest of blankets, writing in her healer's journal on the condition of Certo's niece. She was pleased with how much progress the dragonet inside was achieving in her recovery. In her mind it was nothing short of a miracle that the egg had survived so long on its own. The lightning dragoness glanced over at the nest to see Maya fast asleep and her tiny body curled around the egg protectively. After Certo had left, Thundra had made a couple attempts to inspect the egg again, but Maya had insisted on inspecting the egg herself; obviously, her mother's help was required so she knew what to look for. Thundra had to smile to herself. Maya took her job seriously, mainly in part because she was so fond of the black dragon. Deep down she hoped that she would be able to see him and Crona grow into fine adults and raise a family of their own.

The dragoness was lost in her thoughts when the sound of beating wings outside raised her attention. Crona and Certo landed gracefully on the balcony railing before hopping off and walking inside together. Certo wore a rather disturbed look on his face and Crona seemed to be exceptionally silent as well. "Is everything alright?"

Both dragons looked at one another then, back to her before shrugging listlessly. A frown spread across Thundra's muzzle and she set her ink brush down. "What happened? Is something the matter?"

For another minute the two were quiet. Then Certo lifted his head to meet Thundra's golden eyes. "Can I ask you something?"

"Of course dear." The dragoness nodded, a bit surprised he felt he needed to ask such a question.

A sigh escaped from Certo's maw before he took in a deep breath. "What is the deal with everyone and me? Why am i always the center of everyone's attention?"

Thundra narrowed her eyes at the young male. "I'm afraid I don't quite understand what you're getting at Certo."

"I've heard before, but never really paid much attention to it until now. But i've repeatedly heard about some prophecy involving me. Why is it such a big deal? What was it about? And why are so many afraid of me or what I might do because of it?"

Crona nearly slapped herself in the face, realizing that she had never revealed to him the story behind everyone's fears. But even she was curious to know all the details herself.

An astonished gasp escaped from Thundra's mouth as it fell open. The prophecy of what would befall her eldest daughter had nearly vanished from her mind until now. Her wings seemed to droop a little as she sat up to face Certo.

"It was years ago when Terra and Amp had first hatched that our two families decided to have their fortunes told by Sin, our oracle. Many families go to him with high hopes that he will bestow their offspring with strong, promising futures. However, not all are so fortunate; our family being one of the many." Certo stood staring up at her stiff as a log while Crona sat down beside him to listen. "Amp's father was the former guardian of lightning and he and Nitrus were best of friends. Amp was going to become a respected guardian and an idealogical role model fro generations to come. Naturally, Nitrus and i were happy for his family, and even expected great things from our daughter. However, Sin was not so outright when it came to revealing Terra's future. It took Nitrus quite a bit of convincing to get him to reveal what he knew. At last Sin agreed to tell us."

Certo sat as solid as a rock, almost holding his breath. Crona's talons tapped anxiously on the carpeted floor as she waited for the healer to continue her story.

Thundra sighed deeply before moving on. "Master Sin said that Terra would become one of the many dragons caught up in the politics and violence of a thousand-year war that was to come. She would be caught in the middle between what was right and what was survival. When Nitrus asked how this war was started Sin refused to tell him. All he revealed was that the war would start when a black dragon arrived to rid the world of sin."

"But… that wasn't me." Certo stammered. "I wasn't trying to hurt anyone."

"You are a black dragon Certo." Thundra pointed out. "It should not be any small wonder that others were extremely cautious around you."

"That would be an understatement." Crona thought to herself, remembering how often the other city dragons looked down upon her friend.

Certo lowered his gaze to the floor. "I was being judged before even given a chance. Just like…Neros." Then his head snapped up. "Wait, that prophecy isn't about me! It's about Neros! He's the one who wants to rid the world of dragons because he thinks of us as impure beings!"

"But he doesn't sport the typical black coloration as you do Certo." Crona repeated Thundra's earlier remark. "You may not have fit the actions, but you do fit the physical description."

"Continuing on." Thundra cleared her throat, grabbing their attention before Certo's temper had the chance to grow out of control and wake Maya up. "Sin was kind enough to say that if Amp and Terra stuck together, they would have a better chance at surviving once the war started. It was on that day that we announced the engagement of Amp and Terra."

"So their engagement is more for their survival than out of love?" Certo asked with an almost distract look in his eyes.

"Initially yes." Thundra nodded, somewhat shamefully. "It may sound selfish. But when you two have offspring of your own someday, you will understand." Crona and Certo felt their cheeks flush and their faces nearly lit up in embarrassment. "I am thankful, however, that their relationship has blossomed into love. I truly believe that they will be happy together until their time has come."

"This isn't fair." Certo shook his head. "All of this…" He looked back into Thundra's eyes almost as if asking for forgiveness. "I'm sorry that you had to receive a bad fortune about Terra. It's all my family's fault. They turned Neros into the monster he is today and now Terra and everyone else will have to suffer because of their actions."

"You couldn't possibly know this was what would happen!" Crona snapped. "You can't predict the future!"

"Crona is right. I too was weary of you when i first heard about my daughter discovering you at the Silver River, but I had hopes that by treating you with love and kindness, that the prophecy would be proven wrong. And in a way, it was."

"What do you mean?" Certo raised a skeptical brow.

"You have been a positive influential figure yourself Certo. You've changed this city so much in so little time and despite the dangers around us, I believe you have changed us for good. You've changed how we treat others, how we look after ourselves and how we think of our survival."

"At what cost though?" Certo hung his head. "Volcanus and Nitrus are right, that I bring trouble with me everywhere I go."

"Certo, this world is about balance." Crona brushed his side with her wing barbs. "The good has to roll with the bad in order for harmony to thrive. If it's all good then no one will ever have anything to hope for experience. If everything is bad, then hope dies." She gave him a comforting bump on the cheek with her snout. "It just so happens that you and I both got the short end of the stick."

"Oh come now you two. Enough with this silliness." Thundra stepped forward and drew the adolescent dragons into a close hug with her wings. "You two have more to be thankful for than you realize. A friendship such as yours does not happen every day, in fact bonds this strong are rare. I believe it was just by chance you happen to become so close and that is something you both should rejoice in every day you have to live." Certo and Crona glanced at each other then immediately shied away, unable to look into each other in the eyes.

Thundra gave them each a loving nuzzle before releasing them from her embrace. "I hope you two will keep that in mind, not just as a favor to me, but for yourselves as well." She leaned down and nudged Maya, rousing her from her nap. The little dragoness gave a soft coo as her mother lifted her up in her jaws before gently setting her down on her back. "I will return in the next day or so to check on her again," She announced. "You both take care and watch out for one another. Although I doubt I truly need to say it." She gave a soft chuckle when she saw the young couple stiffen up, and Crona's cheeks turn slightly pink.

When she was gone Crona sat staring at her paws for a long time, listening to the sounds of the city beyond the balcony. When she finally looked up, she found Certo hanging his head in an almost shameful manner. She knew exactly why and gave him a gentle nudge with her shoulder. "Hey, cheer up. Things will turn out for the better."

"Maybe for you they will." Certo muttered. He may as well have growled at her because the resentment in his voice was clear as glass to the white dragoness. "You'll get to live a happy, peaceful life with your friends and family when you get home. I, on the other hand, will be fighting with no purpose or reason." Crona fell quiet again as she watched him walk over and coil himself around his niece. "I don't want her to be unhappy because of all the fighting."

"That's understandable." Crona gave a mild shrug and nod. "But what can you really do? I mean, now that you know what's to come?" It was then that she too hung her head in regret. "I'm sorry, maybe I shouldn't have told you about how things turned out. it would be less complicated for you."

"It won't be complicated if i just took her away from here." Certo murmured, letting his horns scrape against the hardened shell.

"You're thinking of running away?" Crona squeaked her eyes suddenly widening with fear. She had thought he was done running from his problems, but it was clear now that he was still considering it as an option.

"If I have to to protect her, then yes, I will."

"You can't!" Crona snapped, stomping her foot. "Think of all those you would be turning your back on!"

"What does that have to do with anything? It's my choice!"

"I know, but still! Where would you go? Think of all those who will miss you!"

"I'd figure something out. And who in their right mind would miss me? Sabre?" Crona recoiled from Certo's words as if he had slapped her in the face. It was the first time he had mentioned the name of another dragoness besides her.

"I was referring mainly to myself." Crona whimpered, looking away, ashamed to even look at him. "It wouldn't be the same without you."

Certo gave a sharp snort, sending a light gust about the room. "Oh come on Crona. You were friends with Amp and Terra before I even entered your life."

"True. But they don't know me the way you do." The black dragon lifted his head which had been resting on his paws to stare inquisitively at her. Seeing that she had his full attention and he wasn't distracted with his own depression, Crona continued. "Certo, I trust you with my life. And considering how well you know me, you know that's not something I can say about just anyone. If you weren't here… I … I don't know what I'd do." She shook her head violently, causing the light from outside to shine off her golden jewelry, blinding the black dragon for a second. "When you're not around, I feel empty… naked. I get really anxious like something is missing! Almost to the point where i can't stand it! It's the same feeling I felt when I lost my mother, and I don't want to feel the same with you."

Certo sat up on his haunches, staring with astonishment in his eyes at the dragoness. Never before had she talked to him this way. It sounded familiar; too familiar. As he sat, frozen in shock, he remembered where he had least heard words like this. "Crona, I really hope this isn't your awkward way of saying that you like me…"

Crona's cheeks suddenly felt like they were on fire. She brought time to a sudden halt before marching over and swatting the black dragon upside his head with her tail spade.

"Ow!" Certo exclaimed, clutching at his head once he had picked himself off the floor.

"I'm being serious you dunce!" She fumed bringing her snout closer to his with an angry hiss behind her words. "I really mean it." She managed to settle her racing heart enough to lower her voice and stare down at her shuffling talons. "But believe me when I do say, that I have become very fond of you as a friend, even though it was never intended by me."

"That makes two of us." Certo thought to himself.

"I let myself get attached to you, and because of that, I really do value our partnership, like Thundra told us to cherish." The white dragoness lifted her head to look the black dragon in the eye. They were slightly glossy with oncoming tears. She trudged over to him and rested her forehead against his chest where she could feel the pounding of his heart. "You don't know how hard it's going to be on me when I have to go back home. It won't be easy for me to return, knowing that you're still here fighting, being unhappy with yourself, and…" Her voice trailed off at the last part, but Certo could guess by the sad and worried look in her eyes what she was thinking.

"And dying?"

Crona nodded. "I.. I don't… I don't want to lose another friend. But I know it has to happen. This isn't my home or time." Again her eyes fell away from him as she tried hard not to think about losing him. For a long time neither of them spoke a word. Crona found herself delving deep into her own twisted thoughts of what would happen once she returned home. She did not want to imagine how much Certo would have to suffer throughout the rest of his life during the coming war.

"Crona."

The dragoness jolted out of her trance and brought her eyes up to meet Certo's. He was nervously shifting himself around the egg, trying to look calm and composed. "Yes?"

"Um… Would you be willing do something for me?"

"What?"

Certo shifted his paws uneasily. "Well, I, um, was wondering if you'd meet me at the gardens after sunset."

Crona's brows jumped. "What for?"

"Just because." Certo replied rather sheepishly. Crona narrowed her eyes suspiciously at him. "I'll explain later, I promise." Certo assured her, hoping that she would believe him.

"Oh alright." Crona sighed, rolling her eyes. "I suppose i'll have to trust you on that."

Another long, tense silence passed between the two dragons. Both attempted to make casual glances around the room, as if taking an interest in something, other than each other.

"Speaking of getting home," Certo spoke up after several minutes.

"I know," Crona nodded and gave a shrug with her wings. "That's a good question. "I've thought about it a lot and quite frankly, I don't know where to start looking for answers."

"Well I guess there's always the library." Certo suggested then immediately tried to withdraw his comment. Crona shook her head again. There was little to no chance that the library would be in any shape for an outsider to be doing research of any kind. "It is worth a try." Certo shrugged his shoulders, hoping to coax the dragoness into taking his advice. "At least to start us off."

"I guess I'll check it out." Crona watched as Certo rose out of the nest of sheets before moving to cut him off. "And where do you think you're going?"

"With you, obviously." Certo leered at her and Crona returned the look.

"Oh no you're not. You are staying right here. You have a niece to take care of, whom you still have to find a name for."

Certo's jaw hung open as he tried to come up with a fitting excuse to follow along side her in case she needed protection; but none came to his mind. After a defeated sigh he nodded. "Fine. Just be careful though, okay?"

"I can take care of myself Certo. I'm not helpless you know." Certo curled his lip at her and was about to attack her verbally when the white dragoness giggled. "But thank you for the concern." She turned back towards the balcony and hopped onto the ledge. "I'll see you later," she called, glancing back over her shoulder as she spread her wings.

"Don't be late." Certo hollered back. The dragoness only smiled before taking off, leaving Certo in the eerie silence of the air guardian's guest room. He curled back around his niece's egg and sighed.

The late afternoon was chilly. Crona shuddered each time she stopped beating her wings to ride the tiny thermals towards the upper levels of the city. The summer had indeed run late but now the cooler months were coming hard and fast. The nights had been rapidly getting colder and colder. When she had left her father, it was about this same time of year, where the warmer days were starting to cool down. She would have to expect the season to be approximately the same when she returned to her own time period.

As Crona came in for a landing before the demolished library, she was surprised to see and hear all the raucous about the enormous building. Outside, a few guards walked along the perimeter while many earth dragons gathered to review plans for the reconstruction. The workers were too busy to really give her more attention than a respectful nod as she approached the entrance.

Inside was rather noisy as well. Verona hustled around the central chamber, gathering books and scrolls and moving them away from the areas of construction. She was so busy gathering her own materials as well as giving orders to several younger dragons who seemed to be aiding her in relocating all her material, that she did not notice Crona until she nearly bumped into her.

"Goodness! Crona, where did you come from?" She gasped, nearly dropping fainting on the spot.

"I'm sorry to intrude." Crona bowed apologetically. "How are plans for rebuilding coming along?"

The ice dragoness sighed. "Slow, sadly. With all the chaos going on throughout the city, others are scared to venture from their homes unless absolutely necessary. So help has been rather limited."

"Really?" Crona turned her head to look outside where a group of earth dragons were standing over a stone pedestal in which a scroll had been laid out; obviously blueprints for repairing the floors, chambers and ceiling of the library. Considering the immense size of the city, there may have been only a dozen earth dragons outside. "I guess I see your point," the young dragoness sighed.

"It is not a total tragedy." Verona smiled as she led Crona to where she was going. "At least we have some help and that's a good start." She brought Crona to a chamber, which was now quite full, of books and scrolls packed and piled into storage. "How have you been yourself?" Verona asked as they exited the storeroom. "And how is Certo doing for that matter?" It was clear in her voice that the ice dragoness had expected the the black dragon to be there by her side as he always had been.

"We're both doing well." Crona bobbed her head, before muttering under her breath, "All things considered anyways."

"That's good to hear. I understand you both went missing for a couple of days. Did something happen?"

Crona shook her head. "Nothing we weren't able to work out in the end."

"I'm glad to hear that. You two have a special bond. It would be a shame if it were destroyed." Crona gave a slight smile in response, but said nothing. Seeing this Verona smiled as well and continued. "So what, may i ask, brings you here today? Some personal studying I presume?"

"You might say that."

Verona's cheeks flushed slightly as she glanced around the disorganized library. "Well I won't guarantee it will be easy to find what you're looking for in this mess, but you are free to look around as you like."

"Thank you." Crona gave a shallow bow of gratitude. "I'm curious to see if you have any books on, um, dragon time."

"I beg your pardon?" Verona stopped gathering scrolls and turned to Crona with a raised brow. "Are you referring to dragon time as in the timeline of our ancestors?"

It was not exactly what Crona had in mind, but nodded nonetheless. "Yes, I have a lot I wish to research about… our history and the world around us."

"I see," Verona tapped her chin with a talon as she thought to herself. "How much detail are you looking for? Because I'm afraid specifics can be rather limited when it comes to our history."

"I'll take what I can get." Crona replied. "The more detail the better, but anything at this point is a help really."

"Very well, let me take you to the historical documents section and we will start our search there." Verona seemed to suddenly get a burst of enthusiasm from helping the young dragoness. Crona thought it may have been due to the fact that she was getting a break from the endless hustling and storing of books and scrolls.

As they made their way to the second level of the library, they passed by several young dragons who Crona recognized as some of her former classmates. They all greeted her excitedly before Verona ushered them back to their tasks.

"I've never seen so many…young dragons in here at once." Crona pointed out as she passed another group of dragons.

"Indeed. But it all started with Master Nitrus's daughter."

"Terra?" Crona's head snapped back to the librarian.

"Master Nitrus was worried that something may happen when he learned of Volcanus turning himself in. So he had her come here and gather as many of the other young dragons as she could on the way."

"He's worried about something happening during the trial," Crona muttered. "I can't blame him though. The whole situation stinks in my opinion."

"I know. But you should leave the politics to us for the time being. You're a smart young dragoness but you don't have to concern yourself with the affairs of the guardians."

"I do when they involve my friend." Crona narrowed her eyes reflexively. Verona did not see the look due to her back was turned to the white dragoness.

"I understand, but let us not concern ourselves too much at the moment." The librarian continued down several more long rows of books before stopping. "Here we are. These are the historical documents written by past scholars. From my understanding not much has been added to them except for the occasional page or two of notes from Annol, Stratus or myself." Crona looked around at the shelves that reached over their heads, feeling rather ordinary in their presence. It paled in comparison to the vast expansive collection she had seen within the palace of the Chronicler. However, she had never turned down the chance to read before and she was certainly not going to start now; not when there was a chance for more to be learned. "Do you need anything else?"

"Um," Crona paused to think over her words. The knowledge she really wanted would most likely never be here, but if there was anything that would help her get home, she would want to gather it into one spot. "I don't suppose that by chance you have any books on advanced elemental practices?"

Verona shook her head and blinked curiously. "Advanced elemental practices?"

Crona tried to put on an innocent face, sensing that what she was asking for would be harder to acquire unless she was more straight forward. "You know…magic."

Verona's eyes widened. "You want to study magic? What in the world for? Only dragons chosen by the guardians are allowed the privilege to study any form of magic."

"So there really is a chance of me getting home." Crona thought to herself before looking up into Verona's astonished eyes. "Why is it that only the guardians can choose a dragon to study magic? Isn't there some other sort of prerequisite?"

Again Verona shook her head. "I'm sorry my dear. But the study of magic is… how should I put this? It's not so much a dangerous subject, but it's incredibly complex and only dragons of a certain character are allowed to access the vault of knowledge and magic."

Crona sighed, slightly irritated by having to chase after a carrot dangling on a stick. She expected that it would require more effort to acquire any of the ancient information on magic usage, but this was turning out to be more of a nuisance than a challenge to her. "So what do I need to do?" She asked, taking a seat before Verona and putting on her most serious expression.

"Dragons who are to become guardian are the primary candidates to access the vault." Verona explained. "If you're not a guardian candidate, then you have to complete your training at the academy, all the while showing great character and achievement in your studies before the guardians can consider you for such an honor. It has been several years since anyone was granted access to the vault. Master Kia was the last to be granted access seeing that she is the youngest of the guardians."

"What about Amp and Cryus?" Crona asked, raising a skeptical brow. "They're technically guardians too. Or is it because they are still in training that they haven't been given access?"

The ice dragoness nodded. "Yes. They too have to finish their academic training and then continue training as they grow older if they so desire to learn about the use of magic."

"So it has to be up to the elder guardians no matter what." Crona mumbled, her lip curling slightly on reflex. The initial reaction was quickly hidden away as she contemplated confronting the air guardian the next time they were face to face. "No wonder it's been such a long time. Especially with a dictator like Volcanus in power. And to think that he was going to let his ignoramus grandson become a guardian in his place." Just thinking about the blue fire-breathers made her angry to the point where even she contemplated giving them another piece of her mind along with a good thrashing. She suddenly shook those thoughts out of her head; she had to be the example for Certo. If she lost her temper, then no doubt he would as well and then karma would try to claim his life once more.

"I know it's not pleasant to think about." Verona sighed, placing a paw on Crona's shoulder. "But for now we should be thankful that Volcanus has turned himself in to the authorities of our city. I'm sure Captain Cytros has everything under control."

"You heard about Volcanus too?" She may have well said that the sky was blue, her comment was obvious.

"I'm certain that the entire city has." Verona sighed, almost sadly, as she glanced over her shoulder as a trio of young males about Crona's age passed by, pushing a stack of books to the storage room. "I think that knowing Volcanus was in the city caused a lot of tension and worry in the minds of the parents of those young dragons who are here right now. So I feel they must have all gathered here as a sort of refuge if anything should go sour while Volcanus is on trial."

Crona's lips scrunched up in deep thought. The idea made sense. It would come as no surprise that the dragons of the city were on edge because of what happened the last time Certo and Volcanus were within the same vicinity of each other. However, with the library in its current state, she was not sure how much of a refuge it would be; especially if an attack were to fall upon the city.

"Verona," Crona spoke up. Her voice was softer than normal as she continued to think before she spoke. "This city wouldn't happen to have any sort of shelter, or hide out would it? In case of some dire catastrophe, I think it would be important for the civilians to have a place to hide and be protected."

The idea hit Verona like a ton of bricks. Her eyes widened and she would have blushed from embarrassment for not having thought up of the idea herself; especially since Certo and Crona had taken up shelter there previously. "No, not at all I'm afraid. But now that you mention it, I'm certain that we should have one built immediately." In her eyes, it was almost disgraceful that such a measure had not been taken.

"In that case," Crona announced, getting to her feet. "I'll put off my studying until we get that shelter built. I think as of right now, the safety of everyone here is more of a priority than my…personal studies."

"Very good." Verona chirped, suddenly excited about the new idea. "Would you be willing to design the architecture? You did a fantastic job with the walls surrounding the city, so perhaps you could do the same for a shelter."

"I suppose I could do that." Crona blushed, shying her gaze away from the librarian. However, thought did stick to her mind. "But, if it's just a shelter, I wouldn't expect it to be elaborately decorated. More like just a hole to hide in."

"Ah yes, I see your point." Verona tapped her chin thoughtfully, not realizing the silliness of her request. "In that case, I would still request that you design it specifically to remain as efficient as possible. In the meantime I will inquire with Cytros and the dragons working on rebuilding our library, to see if we can get more help on this project immediately." With a quick turn and a flurry of leathery wings, Verona was on her feet, and diving over the balcony towards the floor below; leaving Crona to stare blankly at the spot where she had been sitting.

The young dragoness had to sigh to herself; a subtle smirk tugging at her cheek. Despite all that was going on within the city, these dragons were still rather naive of how to survive in a growing time of danger, while sacrificing their luxuries. "I suppose they'll learn in time." She sighed as she got to her feet, making a mental note of where she was for when she came back to read.

The white dragoness padded down the stairs to the first floor and to one of the back chambers where the blank scrolls were stored. She had to make her way around several of the earth dragons who were busily working but managed to grab a roll of paper and writing tools without any incident. Once situated in a place where there was considerably less noise, Crona began to work. She started with hard graphite for her initial sketches of how she envisioned the shelter to look. It would have to be large enough to house hundreds of dragons; both youngsters as well as adults. The dragoness paused to tap her chin with the graphite stub, holding it delicately between her talons. Exactly how many dragons resided within this city she had no idea. Back home, there may have been only a few hundred dragons residing in Avalar. And when there had been an announcement for the guardian inaugurations, she had found out that nearly four times that many dragons had survived the thousand year war. "And the end of the world." She muttered to herself staring at the graphite in her talons.

Feeling the earth tremble beneath her very feet was a terrifying experience. She remembered her father holding her close, and her clutching his forelimb for dear life as fire erupted from within the earth. The heat was the most intense she had ever felt before in her life. All around, dragons young and old cried and huddled together in frights as the planet began to split apart. Crona cried, not wishing to die; not like this. The ground beneath her father's feet ripped open and Kryos bellowed in surprise. Crona opened her mouth to scream but her cries were drowned out by the roar of molten fire all around her. She saw her father fall away from her, but manage to leap clumsily onto a more secure section of rock as more of the ground began to break apart. Several dragons tried to take flight and escape, but the falling rocks and incinerating fires pummeled and turned them into clouds of smoke and ash. Kryos reached for his daughter as the disintegrating planet threatened to take her away from him. In the blink of an eye she was gone. The ice dragon froze, horrified that he had lost his only child to this terrible cataclysmic disaster. The sudden feeling of pressure on his leg caused him to look down. Crona was suddenly beside him, burying her face into his foreleg again and holding on with all she could. If she was going to die, she would do so holding onto the only thing that mattered to her. Kryos wept openly and curled himself around her in a protective embrace as the thundering continued.

Then all of a sudden the noise stopped. The dragons opened their eyes and looked around to see the world around them frozen as if time itself had stopped. For a brief moment Crona had thought her active power had kicked in on its own, until a wave of warm, violet energy swept out from the center of the planet. The dragons all jolted on their shaky legs as the chunks of rock began to pull themselves together as the planet began to pull itself together again. As the world began healing itself, large chunks of purple crystal were expelled from the core of the planet and into the stars. For nearly an hour this continued. When everything had finally stopped shaking, Kryos released his daughter from his protective coil. All around them, the other dragons were slowly making their way up to the entrance of their cave which they had taken refuge in. When a voice had called out to them, the two emerged into the blinding sun to see the world in an even more beautiful state than it had ever been before.

"I still can't believe he did it." Crona thought to herself as she recalled the events of that day. The purple dragon of legends had defeated the Dark Master and saved them all. But what struck her as ironic was the she had struck out on a journey to help him. And now here she was, making sure that all the good he was destined to do happened as it was supposed to.

"Crona! There you are!" The sudden voice of Terra caused the white dragoness to jump and her eyes shot up to see the grey dragoness enter the room. Behind her were five familiar faces; Katana, Kris, Vixen, Ulu and Sabre. All the younger girls wore big smiles on their muzzles, happy to see their older classmate. "Sorry, did I interrupt you?" Terra chuckled nervously after seeing her friend's reaction.

"N-no. I was just remembering something, that's all."

"You looked pretty deep in thought there." Ulu pointed out. "What are you working on?"

"A rough idea for a safe haven. I was talking with Verona and we both thought it best that we build a place for civilians to hide in case of an attack."

"Is Neros planning something?" Sabre gasped, the fear weighing thick in her voice. The memory of the albino dragon still haunted her dreams each night. The sight of those cruel, ruby-red eyes staring into her was enough to make her scales rattle even now.

Crona was silent for a moment. The truth was that she did suspect something was up with the albino black dragon; the only problem was that she did not know what he was planning exactly. "I'm not sure. I wouldn't put anything past him, but at the same time, I'm not going to say anything unless I'm absolutely certain about it."

Ulu sighed. "That's a relief."

"If you want to call that a relief." Kris muttered. "Sitting around, waiting to be attacked again isn't what I would call any sort of comfort."

"So Crona," Katana spoke up before the two friends could begin bantering. "How are you? I don't see Certo around anymore. Are you two okay?"

The white dragoness noticed the slight shift of Sabre's feet. Crona had still not forgiven her, but she was at least willing to be polite for a short period of time. "Certo is fine." She answered casually. "He's as Kia's at the moment."

"That's odd." Vixen cocked her head slightly. "Normally you two are inseparable."

"He's has an egg to take care of now, remember?" Terra reminded her, glancing back over her shoulder. "He's expecting a niece."

"Oh that's right." Ulu nodded. "How is she doing?"

"Fine." Crona cringed slightly, feeling like she was being too hard pressed for information. "Thundra says she's getting better by the day."

"And how does Certo feel about being an uncle?" Kris asked eagerly, with an almost mischievous look in her eyes.

Crona had to avert her eyes from staring into those of the enthusiastic ice dragoness. "Well to be honest, he seems to be taking it a bit harshly."

Kris glanced at the others for a second. "What do you mean?"

"He's stressed." Terra replied. "You know how he is when facing uncertainty. He tends to pace a lot or shrift around almost excessively." Terra flashed Crona a wink. It seemed that she too knew the black dragon enough to predict his current state of mind.

"Yes, he does tend to be a bit… overdramatic some times."

"Who can blame him." Ulu shook her head. "He's not ready to be a guardian of a hatchling."

"But he wouldn't have it any other way." Crona pointed out. "It's all he lives for right now. To fight and protect the ones he cares about."

"Speaking of the ones he cares about." Katana grinned, narrowing her eyes at the white dragoness. "How is your relationship going? I heard you two had disappeared for a few days and when you got back you had that egg."

Crona curled her lip and reared her head back on reflex. The blood vessels in her cheeks burned deep red at the preposterous insinuation format the younger dragoness. "We weren't doing anything! Not that it's any of your business." She hissed.

"Well Certo is still someone we care about too you know." Sabre finally spoke up. "If something happens and he's not around, we figure you would know."

Crona gave a disgusted snort. "Well it's not like he has to check in with you every time he decides to go out beyond the city. But if you must know, we got into a fight and needed some space."

"About what?" Kris raised a questioning brow. "You two fight all the time. Was it really that bad?"

"Had to have been." Katana answered before Crona could speak.

"Well they're doing fine now." Terra jumped in before the gossip could continue. "They're back to being friends again and that's all that matters."

"That's not good. But still." Vixen gave Crona a flirtatious stare making the dragoness's limbs lock up. "Maybe there's something we can do to help him out."

Crona felt her muscles twitch agitatedly. "For your information, Certo doesn't need any extra help. We already have plans to relax tonight so he's not so stressed around his niece."

Terra's head snapped back around and a perplexed look spread across her face. "What do you mean? Are you two going out?"

"Yes." Crona nodded. "I'm meeting him in the gardens at sundown."

"You're going on a romantic outing?" Vixen gave an excited squeal. "That's so cute!"

Crona realized her words too late and bared her teeth. "No! It's nothing like that! We're just going to spend some time away so that he doesn't worry himself to death watching over his niece all day."

"In other words it's an outing, that's just you two, in a romantic setting." Katana giggled.

"There's nothing romantic about it." Crona snapped. "It's just him and me. Just friends! That's it!"

"Sounds pretty romantic to me don't you think?" Kris gave her friends a sly grin and the other girls nodded their agreements and began giggling to themselves.

Crona growled to herself. These girls were impossible and more immature than anyone she had met before. "Certo and I are only friends. Nothing more We will never be anything more than just friends!"

"Oh really?" Terra gave her a superior smirk like she knew something that the white dragoness did not. She leaned in towards Crona and lowered her voice. "Is that why you two almost kissed under the apple trees two weeks ago?"

Crona's face was suddenly ablaze and her heart began pounding against her breast. Seeing the white dragoness's eyes widen to the size of boulders made the grey ice dragoness's grin spread. "That's about what I thought."

"N-no! That's…it's just…I… it was all a misunderstanding!" Crona stammered, trying to get her blood pressure under control. "Besides, what would Certo see in me anyways? I'm not as pretty as other dragoness's his age."

"Are you kidding?" Terra laughed. "You're a gorgeous dragoness! You look amazingly beautiful for your age."

"You have no idea." Crona thought to herself.

"Face it Crona. Even if you don't like Certo, I think he might like you." Terra stepped back so the other girls could see her blush, thus putting more unwanted attention on the thoroughly embarrassed dragoness.

"Th-that's not true! He doesn't want to care about anyone!" Her words were becoming more forced and uncertain. She knew the black dragon better than every dragon in the city put together. Why was she suddenly filled with so much doubt now? Had they both not agreed to stay friends with the pact? Crona had to turn away and look at her tail spade. The tooth marks would be there for the rest of her life, signifying the bond she and her friend shared. But did he really want to be more than friends? "No, he doesn't want to be more than friends." She said turning back to the group. "I know Certo and he won't allow himself to do so. I know that for a fact!"

The girls all stood suddenly speechless. The sudden seriousness in Crona's voice told them that this was no longer a laughing matter. The excitement in the air had instantly been replaced with a stern coldness that made them all feel very uncomfortable.

At last Sabre let out a sigh. She felt more dejected than the others, but still managed to hold her head up enough. "Well if you're certain then I suppose we'll have to trust you. But we still ask that you take care of him."

"Yeah," Kris bobbed her head. "We're still jealous of you." The other girls nodded alongside her.

"Don't be." Crona muttered before looking back down at her scroll. "I've got work to do. You all should probably return to helping Verona."

"Alright, we'll leave you alone." Vixen rolled her eyes in a semi-sarcastic tone. "Just be sure to take care of our Certy for us."

"Sure." Crona mumbled, going back to sketching. The girls filed out of the room but Terra stayed behind.

"You know, it is considered a romantic outing Crona. You really should consider it a special time between you two."

"I don't feel for Certo in that sort of way."

"Even if that was true, you should still take a chance and try and have a significant other. It might do you some good." Crona continued to stare at the scroll, trying to hide the red against her cheeks. Terra sighed, letting a cloud of frost expel from her maw. She turned back to follow her friends but stopped in the entrance way to look back over her shoulder. "Who knows. You may actually be happier for it." Crona's brows jumped and her eyes lifted to see that the grey dragoness had already gone.

For a long time the white dragoness sat staring at the empty doorway. After nearly an hour of staring blankly, gravity pulled her head back down the the scroll before her. Terra's departing words had left her feeling numb and suddenly very insecure.

"They don't know what they're talking about." She grumbled to herself as she let the graphite in her talons hover over the paper before her. "We're just friends. Nothing more." Her temper was suddenly starting to get the better of her. Her talons flexed and the graphite snapped in her grasp, jolting her out of her thoughts for a brief moment. Crona cursed to herself before grabbing up the broken stick. "What's wrong with not wanting to have anything more than a friendship?" She asked apologetically, half expecting the pencil to answer back. "Certo and I…" She set her tool down and stared at the scroll. "We're… just… just…" The dragoness grit her teeth and hissed, shaking her head violently, trying to remove the thoughts that the other girls had planted. She had work to do. She could not waste her time thinking about trivial matters such as boys and relationships.

Hours passed as she went on with trying to continue her work on constructing a design for the shelter. Time and time again she had to rub out her sketch as each appeared to be even worse than the last. With each failed idea, Crona found herself growing more and more tense.

"Why does everyone have to get the wrong idea?" She mumbled angrily. "I don't want a boyfriend. Certo doesn't want a girlfriend. Neither or us are interested in having any sort of significant other!" She stopped drawing for a moment to rub her temples, trying to stay off the headache that had been steadily increasing over the past hours. It seemed to help her think slightly clearer, even for a moment. "Okay, so we may be a little more than just friends, but neither of us meant to get this close. We're just two souls who happen to understand each other. That's all." The young dragoness turned to look out the window. The orange glow of the sun was shining through, indicating that the sun would be setting soon if it had not started already.

There was no way that she could stay here. It was an impossibility; that much Crona was certain. She would have to return to her own time at one point or another, and leave her new best friend behind to fend for himself once again. "It can't be helped." She murmured. "It's destiny." Did she really believe that? Certo was different from other dragons in every definition of the word; but then again, so was she. He did not judge others first even if he was being judged himself. Was it really his destiny to die at the hands of those who had murdered his family? No, there was no way. Certo was so much stronger now than he was then. He could take on an entire legion of apes alone and decimate their forces beyond recognition. So why was she so certain that she would never see him again? Was he not special enough to not do any good to the war effort? Would Neros defeat him? And if not, was it Malefor who brought him down? All these questions of uncertainty tormented her beyond any reasonable measure.

"Grandpa, what do I do?" She whimpered almost silently.

She did not realize that she was clutching the broken graphite so tightly until her frustration caused her to crush it in-between her talons. A startled gasp escaped from her maw as she watched as the dust fall to the floor like the sands of time through an hourglass. Crona sat frozen in shock at what she had done; not so much at crushing the graphite, but that she was this agitated for no reason.

An infuriated hiss rushed between her clenched teeth as she swatted the scroll with her talons, tearing the paper and sending it across the room. The noise grabbed the attention of Verona who had been passing by at the time, and the ice dragoness poked her head in to see what the commotion was about. What she saw was a tattered scroll and a dejected Crona sitting in the middle of the room with her head hung in dismay.

"Crona, are you alright?" She asked softly, entering the room before placing a paw on the dragoness's shoulder. Much to her surprise, the young dragoness was trembling all over. "My dear, you're shaking. What happened?"

"I… I don't know." Crona stammered, her teeth grinding furiously.

"Well," Thundra started but was immediately cut off.

"I don't know where we stand anymore. Certo and I are supposed to be just friends. Why is it everyone always says we're more than that? We… we can't be more than friends. It's…" Her shoulders slumped and her wings draped across the floor. "It's impossible for us."

"Why is it impossible?" Verona asked curiously.

Crona only shook her head. "I can't say. It's just… It would never work to our benefit. I didn't want to grow attached to Certo, but he… just understands me like no one else can, or will. I don't want to lose another friend."

"Goodness Crona, what has gotten into you all of a sudden? This is not like you at all. You're not going to lose your friend. If I know Certo, he'll be by your side until time comes to claim him."

"That's what I'm afraid of." Crona thought to herself.

"But you may have a point in what you have said. Perhaps you two are not meant to be more than just friends. On the other hand, have you noticed that both of you are much more relaxed when around each other? Despite how quiet you two are, you seem to be fairly happy when in each other's company."

"I admit, that is somewhat true." Crona lifted her head slightly so she could see Verona's talons. "I have no friends back home. Certo's the first I've had since I was a hatchling. He's no Arcadia, but he is special to me. But not special enough for me to like him."

"Perhaps." Verona sighed sadly. "Maybe what you need right now is to take some time to yourself. Although I think that you should talk to Certo yourself. It may not do too much good considering that both of you are also very stubborn around each other, but at this point in time, I wish for you both to be happy above all other things. Now run along dear. I'll clean up here." The ice dragoness leaned down and ushered Crona towards the doorway with her snout.

"But, I still have work to do." Crona protested.

"Don't worry about it right now. I'll have arrangements taken care of." Verona assured her. "If you wish to come back in the morning for a fresh start, you are always welcome here. But for now, you have best get some rest. It's nearly sundown."

"Sundown?" Crona blinked a couple times, looked outside the window to see the last remaining rays of sunlight disappearing for the night. "Oh no! I'm late!" She exclaimed. "I promised Certo I'd meet him in the gardens right now!" She turned and bolted out of the library as fast as her legs could carry her.

Verona stood speechless; surprised by the young dragoness's sudden burst of energy. After a couple minutes she rose to her feet and moved to gather up Crona's scroll. "Sounds like a romantic outing to me." She whispered privately.

Long cast shadows covered the city as the sun went down over the horizon. The dying rays of light warmed the black dragon's back as he walked up the hill towards the upper levels of the city. Certo stayed close to the buildings, remaining in the shadows and staying out of the way of passing dragons, trying to remain as inconspicuous as possible. The few dragons that did notice him, nodded politely before continuing on their way. But the young male could see the dark emotion behind their eyes, as if they were beginning to fear him again.

"It may take more time to sort this out." Kia had reported once returning to her home. "This whole bit with Titanus, and now Volcanus. It's just one thing on top of another."

"Will she be safe?" He asked, staring at his niece's egg.

"She'll be alright Certo." Kia sighed. She wanted to believe her words one-hundred percent, but doubt was lingering in the back of her mind, and Certo could see it.

"I guess it's to be expected." Certo muttered as a couple of younger dragons passed by. Another sigh escaped from him and the wind kicked up the dust in the streets.

It was not in his nature to hate anyone, but just thinking about the blue fire-breather was making his scars begin to light up. The anger inside him gave a sharp stag in his chest. The black dragon groaned and fell onto his hind legs and covered his mouth with the back of his paw. He could taste blood in the back of his throat again and he had to force himself to settle down. Once the karma disappeared from his scars, he took in another deep breath. If Crona were here, she would have insisted that they return to Kia's home and rest for the night. Just thinking of her made a slight smile tug at his cheek. When she went into her nagging mode, her eyes seemed to almost shine with life and energy. It was like yelling at him, and sometimes others, gave her a sense of accomplishment. He had always hated her for it before. "But I guess she has every right to." He muttered to himself. "She's got more life experience than all of us put together."

Certo's thoughts drifted back to all the times the two of them had spent together; fighting, arguing, looking after one another. They really did make a great team together. Another sigh came as he remembered her words from before. "You don't know how hard it's going to be on me when I have to go back home." He repeated softly.

The sound of heavy wing beats suddenly snapped Certo out of his trance. He looked up as a squad of dragons soared overhead. Certo's mouth fell open when he recognized the leader. "Voltrus!" He gasped and took off back down the hill towards the guardian's temple.

Voltrus led his squad across the city, ignoring the other dragons below. "Azurite, take three and gather the reserves! Have them assemble at the council chambers." The earth dragon nodded to a trio of sentries and broke off from the group. The lightning dragon folded his wings and shot towards the ground, shooting in-between the buildings. Once outside the council chambers, he came to a bounding halt as the rest of his squad formed up on his position. Young Mateo was not far behind, but far more winded than he should have been. "Gather the guardians!" Voltrus ordered. "We have to assemble a meeting this instant!" Three more sentries took to the air again before disappearing into the coming night.

"Voltrus," a voice came from inside the temple. The lightning dragon and his remaining subordinates turned around to see Nitrus and Cytros exiting the temple. Seeing the lightning dragon back caused their expressions to darken even more. "What have you to report?"

"Captain!" Voltrus bowed. "I have sent for the reserves to gather here at once. But if we may, I would prefer that we retire to the conference room." He glanced around the courtyard at the few remaining civilians passing by.

Sensing something was far worse than they anticipated, Nitrus nodded in agreement and whirled back around, disappearing into the darkness of the temple. Mateo followed alongside the guards, trying to make himself as much apart of their ranks as he could, without being stepped on.

Once inside the conference room, Nitrus took up his usual seat on top of his pedestal. "So, what have you to report lieutenant?" The coldness in the ice guardian's voice made Mateo stiffen as he looked up at Voltrus, who stood looking as cool and composed as he usually did.

"Nothing good I'm afraid." The lightning dragon shook his head.

Cytros narrowed his eyes "Did you find Titanus?"

"Yes sir. Unfortunately we were not able to bring him back."

"Why is that?" Nitrus asked suspiciously. "Your orders were to have him arrested on sight."

"Master Nitrus, with all due respect, I don't think there is any way we will be able to detain Titanus at this point. He's… changed. I don't know how to explain it. But he's not the same dragon we once knew."

"Explain." Cytros demanded, not liking that his second in-command was putting off his report.

"Like I said Captain, I can't explain how it happened. But we were able to track him down, however, he has… for lack of a better term, turned into a monster. He's destroyed thousands of acres of land, burning everything to a crisp. There's nothing but smoke and ash for miles in every direction. When we did eventually locate Titanus, we were forced to immediately return. If we had not, then we would have never made it back alive."

Cytros and Nitrus gave exchanged an uneasy stare. The briefness of Voltrus's report and the description of it was not sitting well in their stomachs.

"What exactly has happened lieutenant?" Cytros took a step closer to the lightning dragon. It was then he noticed the redness in his eyes from lack of sleep and days of endless flying.

"Titanus was always larger than any other dragon his age and even older sometimes." Voltrus sighed, feeling the weight of exhaustion begin to bring him down. "But what we saw of him… he's grown even larger. So much in fact…" He looked towards Nitrus then back to his captain. "It's going to take an army to bring him down."

Nitrus and Cytros both jolted at that. The fear in Voltrus's voice was what frightened them the most. And the idea of creating an army of dragons was something that had never before been done in their natural history.

"Where is Titanus now lieutenant?" Nitrus growled, not liking how this day was coming to an end.

"To the north west of the city. at least a three day's flight."

"That's nearly five hundred miles!" Cytros gasped.

"Say no more." Certo thought to himself. He slipped back down the hall as the voices continued to echo behind him. Once he was outside, he sprang into the air, ignoring the incoming sentry reserves that had been summoned. They glanced curiously at the black dragon as he took off into the darkened sky as a pair of yellow moons rose into the night sky. "I'm going to find that self-righteous brute and find out what he's doing myself!" He growled and his scars gave a quick flash in the night.

Down below, Terra walked alone in the streets towards her home. The sudden burst of crimson in the sky caught her attention as the black dragon soared overhead, heading towards the northwest. She squinted into the distance after him as he shot over the city walls and over the forests beyond.

"What does he think he's doing?" She whispered to herself.

Meanwhile, Crona sat waiting patiently in the gardens. Fireflies danced about the flowerbeds and lilies, only to get snatched up by the koi fish should they hover too close to the water's surface. The gardens were beautiful during the daytime but at night they were just as spectacular. Crona sighed as she stared at her reflection in the pond. The night was cold but the sky seemed to have a warm glow about it. The sight made her wish for the summer nights to be back when she was able to sleep outside under the stars without worrying about freezing to death in her slumber.

The soft sound of claws clicking against stone brought Crona back to reality, and she turned her head towards the sound. A dark figure appeared at the entrance to the garden and Crona's expression lit up. "Certo?" A pair of green eyes turned to look at her and Crona recoiled, feeling her heart pound against her chest. much to her surprise, Terra emerged from the shadows into the moonlight. Crona let out a sigh, somewhat disappointed. "Oh, Terra. Sorry… I just thought…" The grey dragoness only stared at her friend, a quiet sadness in her eyes. "Have you seen Certo around?" Crona asked, missing the look of sorrow.

"Yes." Terra replied lowering her gaze to the moss at her feet.

"Oh, is he coming? It's already way after sundown. I figured maybe he was going to be late because of his niece."

Terra grit her teeth as tears began to gather at the rims of her eyes. "I'm sorry Crona. I don't think he's going to come."

"What?"

"I saw him flying away from the city. He was completely glowing with karma. So… he…" Terra could not stand to look at her friend any longer. "I'm sorry, Crona. I don't think he's coming." With that she whirled around and ran away down the hill towards home.

Crona sat in shock, her eyes wide in dismay and her mouth hung open. "He's… not coming?" She squeaked. Her face suddenly felt hot and her eyes began to water. "He's not coming."

The wind burned around Certo as he flew on into the night. The karma emanating from his body was ridding the chill that would have normally hindered his flying. His mind was clouded with angry thoughts of the blue fire-breathers. Volcanus was imprisoned but his grandson was out there somewhere causing destruction everywhere he went. "They're such idiots!" He hissed to himself, his eye glowing with angry red fury. "And for what? Just be in power? To manipulate others? For Crona? Titanus is an idiot to think that he can have someone like Crona. Especially while I'm around!" The thought of the white dragoness in danger caused his body to glow even brighter than before. "I'll always be there to protect her!" He shouted into the wind. "I'll always be there for her!"

Will you? The voice in his head caused the black dragon to stop suddenly, hovering in place to look around.

"Who's there?" The black dragon growled, trying to sense if anything was moving in the wind around him.

She has been there for you. Why are you not there for her?

"Who are you?" Certo demanded, shouting to the open air. "What are you talking about? I am always there for Crona!"

If that were true, why are you not there now? The voice asked disappointedly.

Certo's eyes grew wide at the sudden realization, and the karma faded away. "Oh no. What am i doing?" he gasped, his heart suddenly pounding in his chest. Without wasting another heartbeat, he whirled around and became a scarlet streak across the night sky as he flew back towards the city. How could he have been so selfish and idiotic? He was the one who had asked her to meet him. He had let his emotions and lack of judgment get the better of him once more. He squeezed his eyes shut as the wind rushed past him. "Damn it, I'm sorry!" He wailed in his mind. "Just please! Don't let me fail her!" He looked up ahead towards the city as it drew closer. He had to go faster. If he couldn't then he might lose the only ting that mattered most to him in the world.

Crona sat staring at the koi pond, watching the fireflies ripple off the water's surface. She felt cold and her scales rattled uncomfortably. She could have headed back to Kia's home where it was warmer; so why didn't she? Was it because Certo would be there? No he was long gone by now. He probably went to hunt down Titanus or Neros. It made sense. Only the two of them could ever drag his attention away from her in such a mindless manner. But had he not been serious about meeting her here?

The dragoness reflected back to earlier when he had asked her. He was so nervous about doing so, and after hearing the accusations from the other girls she began to wonder if he truly did have feelings for her. "Or was it a diversion for you to escape?" She murmured to the fish in front of her. A single tear slide down her snout and plopped into the water. Crona wiped her face with the back of her paw. She had to be strong. This was just another hurdle she would have to get over alone. As she set her paw down she took a few minutes to look at herself in the pond's reflection again. "Who am I kidding?" She whimpered. "I'm nothing to anyone. I'm not attractive in any way shape or form." She argued, thinking back to Terra's earlier remark. Crona lifted a paw and twisted it around, looking herself over even closer. There was nothing feminine about her. Her paws were so much larger than they should have been. Her bust was above average as was thick hips and thighs. Where other dragoness's had long, graceful necks, hers was shorter and her midsection was slimmer than it probably should have been. Who in their right mind could see her as attractive? She was a freak in every sense of the word.

The white dragoness was in the midst of her depression when she felt a warm breeze across her back. She lifted her head and looked back over her shoulder. The gardens were empty; not a soul was to be heard or seen. With a low sigh, she got to her feet and readied to leave. She could not bring herself to be mad at Certo; it was just who he was. Socially inept, and single-minded in his priorities. "Maybe I won't miss him that much when I leave." She pondered softly.

"Crona?" The dragoness's head shot up and her heart nearly burst out of her chest. She snapped her head around to see a dark figure standing several yards away at the garden entrance.

"C-Certo?"

The figure stepped into the light of the moons and Crona's eyes grew wider. The black dragon stared at her with a shameful expression across his face. He was fully aware of what he had done, that much she could see. But what she also saw was the flower, held delicately in his mouth.

Crona stood frozen as she watched him walk closer, almost as if he were afraid to confront her for standing her up. Once he was able to stand before her with only a foot of space between them, he set the flower on the stone at her feet and kept his head hung, as if bowing at her feet. "I'm sorry." He whispered. "I… I don't know what I can say to ask for…"

"Don't." Certo raised his head to see her smiling down at him, much to his surprise. "You're here now. I can forgive you for being late."

Certo only held his head down. "I'm not worthy to be called your friend Crona. I'm…" The dragoness suddenly placed a talon over his lips.

"I said, don't." She murmured. "I don't want to hear it. I don't want to know."

Certo felt his heart become a lump in his chest. He had screwed up far beyond anything he could have imagined before. He watched in stupefied wonder as Crona picked the flower up off the stone and examined it. It was a poor excuse for asking for forgiveness, but no male had ever brought her anything before. "It's not much… and I know it's not like me at all…" Certo mumbled, averting his eyes. "But… I… was… I wanted to give you something."

Crona looked at him with a heartfelt gaze. "I've never gotten anything from another dragon in my life. You're the first."

"Also the first to leave you waiting for me." Certo grumbled at himself, his tail blade tapping the cobble-stone in self-loathing.

Crona was silent for a long time. There was no denying that he had found something else of a higher priority over her. He had come back, but what had changed his mind? He certainly looked like he felt guilty about it. Crona sighed as she thought about asking him a critical question that would give her the answer she was looking for.

"Certo?" The black dragon turned to look at her. His eyes glistened like gems in the moonlight. "Can you answer a question for me? Honestly?"

Certo stared into her baby-blue eyes. The sadness and loneliness had returned a hundred times stronger than he had ever seen before in the past. "I'll do anything you want me to." He answered, mostly to try and assure her that he wanted to make up his mistake to her.

Crona bobbed her head slightly before taking in a deep breath, sucking the blue mist into her body to settle her thoughts. "I've been thinking a lot lately. And I meant what I said about valuing our friendship more than anything in the world. But I also realize that i never took the time to ask you your opinion." Certo's joints locked and his tail blade flicked against the stone nervously. "Do you think of me as someone who you consider a friend?" Her cheeks began to flush as she forced herself to stare into his eyes. She was serious. "Do you care about me?" She wanted to ask if he considered her as more than just a friend, but her own self-consciousness would not allow her.

For a long time Certo was speechless. The question had come too soon, too suddenly. How could he think under this much pressure? Ever since he was young he had thought Neros had been the best friend he wanted. But ever since he had nearly lost her, Crona had been his ideal companion, not just in general but for life. He could not have asked for a better friend to be with and he wanted nothing to change between them. But the nature of her question began to plant seeds of doubt in his own mind. She said she valued him as a friend, but did she really stop there? He found himself looking down at her and noticing how she seemed to emanate the glow of the moons overhead. She was gorgeous but he would never say it to her. He could not bring himself to care too deeply for her; not when it meant he had to lose her. The heartbreak would be too much for him.

"No."

Now it was Crona's turn to fall silent again. The word struck her, but it did not have the harsh impact she had expected. Instead she bobbed her head understandingly and a smile spread across her muzzle. "That's about what I thought." She knew him so much better than she had realized before. Without thinking, she leaned in slowly, causing Certo's heart to pound violently against his chest. "Thank you for coming back." She nuzzled him under his chin, letting her head rest against his chest. The strong pounding of his heart soothed her sorrow. Everything else seemed insignificant as long as he was by her side.

Certo listened to the soft cooing from the dragoness as she continued to press her weight against him. "Crona."

"Sh." She whispered softly. "Just be quiet. Please."

Certo's mouth hung open for a split second before he swallowed hard. He lowered his head to rest on top of hers. She was cold so he draped a wing over her back to pull her in closer to a hug. She gave another soft contented coo and nuzzled him again with her soft cheeks. She was growing sleepy and her weight was pressing against him more with every second that passed. Taking the hint, Certo slowly lowered himself to the ground beside the pond and pulled his friend closer to his chest.

"Thank you for coming back." Crona whispered in her mind. She had another thought, but sleep rendered her unable to finish it.


	34. Chapter 34

Terra roused from her sleep when she felt a chill against her side. The ice dragoness raised her head to see her fiancé step off their bed of pillows and away from her warm side.

"Amp?" She mumbled sleepily. "Where are you going?"

"It's guardian business," Nitrus whispered, catching his daughter's attention. She could hardly see his figure in the doorway except for what little moonlight glistened off his scales.

"At this hour? It's still dark out."

"It's an emergency Terra. I'm sorry," Her father apologized. He hated having to steal his son-in-law away from her, but it was necessary for the young dragon if he wished to be an honorable guardian.

"I'll be back as soon as I can," Amp assured her, giving her a loving nuzzle and kiss on the cheek. "Sleep well."

Terra lay down uneasily and watched as her future mate followed after her father. When their footsteps disappeared she curled up under several of the cushions and pillows and tried to fall back asleep.

Once outside, Amp was able to openly speak to the ice guardian. "So what's going on? Does it have to do with Volcanus?"

Nitrus was silent for a moment. "I'm afraid not."

"Certo and Crona then?"

"It may affect them, but they are not the reason we are having this meeting." The darkness in the ice dragon's voice struck a note of fear in Amp's heart.

"Nitrus… what's going on?"

"Ampus, I know I do not have to ask this of you, but please do so for my own peace of mind."

"Anything," the young dragon nodded nervously. His quills began to tremble and the hum of electricity could be heard.

"If I order you to, will you take Terra and Maya far away from this city? Somewhere where they will be safe?"

Amp stopped walking and stared at his father in-law. Nitrus stopped and turned to look at the young guardian. He knew he was asking a great deal from someone so young, but he hoped that his years of training had taught Amp to listen to what his master told him. After a moment's pause the young male bobbed his head once, a spark of light seeming to flash behind his eyes.

Nitrus sighed, thankful that Amp did not ask for an explanation beforehand. "Ampus. You have to understand this right now. Never before in the history of our species have we required the combined efforts of a hundreds."

"Hundreds?" Amp's mouth fell open and his heart skipped a beat.

"We are forming an army as we speak. I have requested that Captain Cytros send out his fastest sentries to the dragon cities across the lands. We have already given them warning of the escalating conflicts our home has been experiencing over the past months. But things have become far too dangerous for us to handle on our own."

"Are we… Are not going to be able to… Is there another attack coming?"

"I'm certain that the attacks will continue to come, Ampus," Nitrus sighed sadly. "But as of right now, we are taking the fight to our enemy."

"We are?" Amp took a hesitant step backwards, surprised at the offensive tactic his mentor was announcing.

"We are going to leave this city. And we are going to launch an attack against Titanus."

Hours passed at a snail's pace. Terra sighed sadly, unable to sleep any longer. She dozed on and off for a couple of hours with constant chills and nightmares waking her every half hour. Her dreams were plagued with the sounds of dying roars as dragons all around her were brought down by the murderous mandrills.

When she could no longer take trying to sleep, she rose out of bed and walked out onto her balcony. The sun was beginning to peek over the mountains in the distance and would not be high enough to rouse the city for a couple hours.

Feeling the need to be away from home, the ice dragoness spread her wings and glided down to the streets below. The ground was cold and a light layer of frost covered the stone; snow would be coming soon. Terra had to dig her claws in a little in order to keep from slipping on the smoothed rocks. After nearly tripping twice, she gave up and took to the air.

As she flew along she began to think about the previous night. She had gone straight to Amp after leaving Crona in a state of shock at the gardens. She could not stand to see her friend after seeing that look in her eyes. Terra had always thought that Crona was very limited in her experience with males and relationships, but it had never been clearer to her than when she saw the dragoness's heart break before her very eyes.

"How could Certo do such a terrible thing to her?" She muttered to herself, her talons flexing angrily alongside her belly. "To ask the person you care for the most, out on a romantic outing and then leave them there is unforgivable." Terra gave an angry huff, and a cloud of icy shards shot form her nostrils; thoroughly disgusted in the black dragon's actions. Never before had she felt like she had lost this much respect for someone she considered a friend. Sabre had been one story but this was an entirely new situation. Maybe Crona was right; she and Certo would never grow to anything beyond just friends.

It was not until she was flying just beyond the wall surrounding the gardens that she glanced over and her jaw fell open. The grey dragoness back-winged and came to hover over the street. She could have sworn she saw a glint of gold against white scales. Terra landed and shuffled over to the garden's entrance. Across the lawn beneath a small pine tree, she could see the tail of the white dragoness lying limp. Terra's heart nearly stopped and she bounded over to where her friend lay. Once she was close enough, she came to a sudden stop. The tail of her friend was wrapped affectionately around another tail; a black one. Terra had not noticed Certo lying beneath the tree since his dark scales allowed him to remain nearly invisible in the shadows.

Crona lay on her side, one wing covering her hind legs while Certo draped one of his wings over hers. The black dragon had his forearms wrapped around her shoulders, holding her close to his chest and his long neck bent down so his forehead was pressed against the back of her neck. His breathing was warm, against her soft scales and the dragoness made soft cooing noises in her sleep.

Terra could not help but emotionally melt at the sight of them both. She had seen them sleep together before but not this intimately. She slowly started turning away, making sure she did not cause any noise to rouse the two of them from their sleep. Once she was at the entrance she let out a sigh of relief. "I cannot figure those two out." She murmured, shaking her head. "They hate each other, they don't hate each other. They are just too weird."

"Who's too weird?" Terra's head snapped around to stare into the teal-green eyes of Cryus.

The ice dragoness froze on instinct. "C-Cryus, what are you doing here? Aren't you supposed to be at the meeting with Amp and the other guardians?"

"I've been asked to round up whatever volunteers I can for this supposed army your father is having us create." The water dragon replied, looking sternly into her eyes.

"My father wants us to create an army?" Terra took a hesitant step back towards the gardens. "What in the ancestor's name for?"

"You know it had been Volcanus's idea to form the city guard. But your father believes that the situation with the apes and that feral has escalated to a point where it's not going to just affect this city but the entire world unless we make efforts to defend ourselves."

"So he's forming an army of dragons?" Terra gasped.

"Trying to." Cryus sighed. He was clearly tired from having gotten up early and now having to endure the chilly morning air. "He was hoping that I could fetch Crona for him as well."

Terra's brows jumped. "Crona? What for?"

"He was hoping to ask her for her council on this matter. She's pretty intuitive when it comes to political issues, so I'm guessing he wants to hear her opinion on this matter. But she wasn't at Master Kia's place, so I've been looking around for her."

"I see." Terra swallowed hard, resisting the urge to glance over her shoulder at the two dragons lying asleep under the low pine. "Well I'm sure she's around. I just saw her last night, so finding her shouldn't be too hard."

"I hope not. We really need her right now. Nitrus has everyone gathering at the temple and is preparing to move out if needed."

"Then why don't you head back to the temple and see if you can find Crona on your way there. Most likely she went out for a walk alone."

"I doubt that," Cryus muttered darkly. "Certo wasn't there either. And I'm almost certain that they are together."

"What makes you say that?" Terra gave a nervous ruffle of her wings and moved closer towards the water guardian, hoping to distract his view.

"Because they're almost always together," Cryus growled. "Wherever she is, he is. And Vice versa."

"Oh come now, they're not always together. I was talking with her yesterday when she was at the library. Certo wasn't with her there then."

"Because he had that stupid egg to look after. If it weren't for that thing I probably wouldn't be able to get Crona away from him."

"You know she really cares a lot for Certo right?" Terra raised a skeptical brow. She understood how Cryus felt but at the same time she did not want him intruding on her friend's relationship.

"I know she does. And I've been trying to make her see that he brings nothing but trouble wherever he is. And she just won't budge. I can show her what it means to be happy without a care in the world. But she won't even give me the time of day."

Terra hung her head and stared at his paws. She could not deny that Crona had not given Cryus a fair chance. She had disliked all the guardians from the moment she had met them and it had taken a long time for the few that remained to gain her respect and trust; even now she was certain that the white dragoness still questioned their integrity. But at the same time, Certo had not made an effort to get too acquainted with her on a personal level like Cryus had, and perhaps that was the deciding factor in why she chose Certo's company more than that of Cryus.

"So what about yourself? What are you doing up so early?" Cryus moved to Terra's right and took a peek inside the gardens.

"No!" Terra exclaimed, suddenly snapping out of her thoughts. She spread her wings to their full length hoping to block part of his view. Cryus stood frozen as he stared at the pine tree and the two dragons cuddled up below its low-hanging branches. He suddenly felt hot all over and his scales began to stand on end. Terra could see the look in hatred boiling up inside him. "Cryus, I know what you're thinking and you need to just stop and turn away for now."

The blue dragon bared his teeth and shoved past Terra, knocking her over in the process. "Cryus, stop!"

The sound of Terra's voice roused Certo from his sleep. He stirred slightly and nuzzled Crona's neck as his senses slowly began to come around. With a big yawn, he lifted his head and immediately felt a vice grip on the base of his neck. The sudden surge of pain instantly snapped Certo out of his sleepy daze. The feeling of teeth sinking into his neck caused him to kick suddenly, getting to his feet to keep from his flesh being torn off. His first thought was his brother returning to kill him while he was unawares.

The black dragon's scars suddenly lit up with burning hot karma and Cryus was forced to release his grip. With an agonized cry he staggered back, clutching at his burned cheek with one paw. Certo whirled around with a vicious snarl and stopped, surprised to see the water dragon rather than his twin.

Seeing him pause gave Cryus another moment to strike. He thrust his head forward, emitting a powerful stream of water, striking Certo in the chest, knocking the wind out of him and propelling him into the icy-cold pond.

The loud splash and sudden chill from the water droplets brought Crona out of her slumber. She shuddered as she lifted her head to look back over her shoulder, just in time to see Cryus spring into the air as Certo resurfaced. The water dragon pounced onto his unaware opponent and dragged him beneath the water's surface. "Certo!" Crona exclaimed, jumping to her feet, wobbling slightly from the sudden movement.

"Cryus! Knock it off!" Terra shouted desperately, not sure if she should jump into the water to break up the fight. Certo's head broke the surface with a loud gasp, and Cryus snarled furiously. He let Certo scramble over to the edge of the pond to try and climb out before grabbing his hind leg in his jaws and dragging him back in.

Certo could feel the air rushing out of his lungs as he was flailed and jerked about in the now murky water. He clawed his way towards the surface, trying desperately to get fresh air. Cryus clamped harder on Certo's ankle and the black dragon gave a gargled cry. As his head was pulled back down, he sucked in as much air as he could. The black dragon's abdominals flexed before he released all the air in his lungs. The force of the expulsion sent him shooting out of the pond and splash onto the muddy grass on the opposite end. Certo coughed and struggled for air as he got to his feet. He was dazed, but no longer victim to the water dragon's surprise attack.

A low growl rumbled in the back of Cryus's throat as he leaped out of the water and onto the grass to face his enemy. Certo's lips curled into a savage snarl and plumes of karma billowed from his scars. Cryus braced himself for the black dragon's attack, waiting until the last moment before he would have to dodge. At the moment he expected the attack, Crona suddenly appeared in front of him.

"Certo, back off!" She ordered harshly. The black dragon paused to look at her, then to the blue dragon behind her. Off to the side Terra stood in dumbfounded belief at what she had just seen; the white dragoness had just moved fifteen yards in a fraction of the time it took her to blink.

Certo growled but did not wish to stand against his closest ally. Instead he backed away and suppressed his crimson power, yet kept his killing glare fixated on Cryus. Once he sat down, Cryus looked down at Crona.

"Why are you…"

His sentenced was interrupted by a heavy blow across the jaw. The blue dragon staggered, but managed to stay on his feet. Crona glared daggers at him as he lifted his eyes to meet hers. "Where do you get off Cryus? How dare you attack Certo like that! He has done nothing to you to deserve such treatment!"

"What do you think you're doing with him Crona?"

Crona stiffened at his tone of voice. "What do you mean? We weren't doing anything wrong or out of context!"

"I can't believe that even after all that we've talked about and everything that's happened you still can't see the truth behind him! Being with Certo isn't going to make you happy! He's just disaster waiting to happen!"

Certo bared his teeth and took a step forward. "I said back off!" Crona ordered without so much as turning her head. Certo stopped dead in his tracks, glancing from the white dragoness to the guardian, wishing he could teach the arrogant snob a lesson.

Certain that he was not going to disobey her, Crona narrowed her eyes at Cryus. "Are you suggesting that I care about Certo in that manner? Because if so then…"

"You were sleeping with him just now! I saw you!" Cryus fumed.

"We always sleep together Cryus! We live in the same home! And quite frankly I am sick of everyone suggesting that we become a pairing! We aren't going to be anything more than what we are! Just friends!"

Cryus lifted his eyes to meet Certo's feral stare. The black dragon made no visual disagreement with Crona's words making him feel even more uneasy about his words. "No two dragons who are just friends sleep the way I just saw you," He muttered, a growl resonating in his voice. He glanced back over at Certo and leered at him. "You don't deserve her! You hear me?"

"Cryus!" The blue dragon's attention snapped back to the white dragoness before him. Crona curled her lip and gave a low hiss. She leaned forward and pressed her snout to Cryus's as she only did when she was seriously angry with anyone. "You listen to me Cryus, and you listen well. Certo and I are not a couple. We never have been. Never will be. If you and everyone else insist on believing such a stupid idea, then you're only going to be making yourselves look like a bunch of naive little children. And furthermore, I want this whole issue you have with Certo to stop right this instant! You're a guardian and you have bigger problems to worry about, rather than trying to separate me and Certo."

"I am thinking of this city and I'm thinking even more about you!" Cryus snapped. "I want you to be happy and with Certo attracting so much bad karma, I don't want you to be caught in the middle of it."

Crona and Certo both stiffened at that. Certo hissed but did nothing more. "What do you know about karma Cryus? Certo has made no attempt to harm anyone who has not tried to harm him first."

"It's his essence, Crona! He's a bad omen! Everyone believed that at one point until you made them turn the other way!"

Crona tilted her head sideways and scrunched her lips into a disapproving frown. "Why do you suppose I'm willing to defend Certo to my last breath when others look down on him?"

"I don't know! I can't seem to wrap my head around it!"

"It's because we have an understanding between him and me. I see what he really is. A dragon who has lost everything in his life including the will to live. I understand his feelings because I was like that at one point myself." Cryus and Terra's eyes both widened at that. "I'm trying to show Certo he can be happy in life. I know I'm still working on that little aspect myself, but he knows that and that is why he feels he can trust me."

Cryus stared at her for a tense moment before shaking his head. "I just don't understand you. You can trust him all you want but it's not going to change who he is."

"There's nothing wrong with who he is, Cryus!" Crona stamped her foot hard; the water dragon could have sworn that the earth shook when she did.

"And that's where you're wrong! Trouble hangs around him like a cloud of flies! You could trust him from afar and not have to go near him! I could make sure you stay safe from any danger, just don't be around him!"

"You're never going to understand, Cryus." The dragoness shook her head sadly. "Just go. I think this debate is over."

"But Crona, Im trying to get you to see!"

"Just go," Crona murmured, turning back to face Certo, leaving the water dragon to stand stupefied at her backside. After the initial shock of her harsh words had worn off, the water guardian snorted angrily. Certo's muscles tensed as he expected him to lash out at his friend. Much to his relief, Cryus turned away and stormed out of the gardens, brushing by Terra, not bothering to look her in the eye. Crona trudged over to Certo and leaned her head against his chest. She let out a sigh and stared at his feet. "Are you okay?"

Her voice was almost a whisper but the black dragon nodded nonetheless. "I should be asking you that same question."

"I'm fine. I just wish Cryus wasn't so closed-minded sometimes."

"I'm sorry," Terra spoke up, grabbing the couple's attention for the first time. "I tried to keep him out when I saw you two. But I… I wasn't sure what I should do."

"No one was seriously hurt Terra," Crona assured her, pulling herself away from Certo's cold chest; he was still dripping wet. "But what's going on? It's barely after sunrise and you both are awake. Is something going on?"

Terra paused to try and recall why she was even out of her home in the first place. When the memory finally came rushing back her expression darkened. "Cryus said he was looking for you Crona. He said that my father wished to speak with you about something important."

"Uh oh." Crona and Certo thought to themselves.

"What's going on?"

Terra bit her lower lips for a second before speaking. "War." Crona and Certo felt a chill run up their spines. "Cryus said that he's still at the council chambers, waiting for you. I would advise getting to him as soon as possible."

"R-right," Crona stammered, suddenly feeling rather hot and numb all over. "Thanks Terra." The grey dragoness bobbed her head nervously.

The three dragons walked out of the gardens and into the streets, heading back down towards the city's central plaza. They walked along in silence but at a quickened pace. Certo continued to glare ahead, expecting to see the water guardian up ahead of them, while Terra watched her two friends as she trailed along behind them.

"Crona." The ice dragoness stopped in the middle of the street, and waited for them to face her. "Can I ask you something?"

"What is it?" Crona asked skeptically. The uneasiness in Terra's voice made her hesitant to agree.

"What did you do back there in the gardens?"

"What are you…" Then Crona realized that she had used her active power in front of Terra, someone who had not known about it until just now. The only reason she had used it was because Cryus knew about it and she could trust him not to reveal her secret to anyone else. Not that she did not trust Terra but she had not anticipated her being there. "Um… I…"

Terra waited patiently for an explanation as Crona fidgeted nervously with her talons. The ice dragoness felt eyes on her and she looked up to see Certo fixing her with a stern look. The black dragon gave a subtle shake of his head. It was then Terra noticed the almost sad look behind his stare and she realized the nature of her question was not a subject to be taken lightly. "It's alright Crona. You don't have to explain yourself. But do answer me this, were you serious about you and Certo… you know… never becoming a couple? Or was that just because Cryus was there?"

Crona's heart seemed to settle down and she breathed a silent sigh of relief. However, Terra's second question left her feeling still rather stand-offish.

"I've made it clear to her that I wish nothing more than to be friends." Certo almost growled, stepping forward. "Things are going to… change soon Terra. And when it does, we have to make sure our heads are in the right spot and not getting bogged down with needless feelings and emotions."

The dark tone of the black dragon's voice seemed to frighten Terra. He spoke as if he had seen the future and how bleak it would become for them. As much as she did not wish to believe his words and pass them off as merely covering up his true feelings, Terra could not bring herself to do so. The grey dragoness lowered her gaze as she felt her heart sinking into her stomach. "I see. Well, I'm sorry. I was hoping that… well… you know…"

"We appreciate the kind thoughts Terra," Certo murmured bumping her cheek with his snout. "But I'm not interested in having anyone to care about more than…right now…"

Terra sighed. "Alright. If it's what will make you happy then I'll go along with what you say."

"We appreciate it." Certo sighed, thankful for her cooperation.

The grey dragoness smiled sadly at the two of them. "I guess I should leave you two to your own business now. I should get back home before everyone else wakes up."

"Terra," Crona stepped forward before her friend could walk away. "I'm not sure what your father has planned right now. But… if we have to do something drastic, would you be able to… The thing is, this city needs a safe shelter, and badly. But if I'm not around to help out, then…"

"I'll try and help out as much as I can." Terra nodded, seeing what the dragoness was asking. She turned to Certo and forced a warm smile. "And I can have Maya watch after your niece if you need her to as well. She'll do anything for you, you know."

"I appreciate it." Certo nodded. Terra gave another sigh before turning away once more. "You know, I really think you two could be happy together, if you just let yourselves." She giggled slightly when she saw the two of them stiffen at her words, and flew off towards home before either could protest.

Once their hearts had settled down in their chests, Crona gave Certo a gentle nudge with her shoulder. "I never thought I'd see the day when you spoke to anyone in a remotely civilized manner."

Certo gave a slight snort. "I may be a feral, but I'm not unwilling to learn from those around me."

"I sometimes wonder." Crona rolled her eyes.

"You should get going," Certo growled, his temper starting to show again. "Nitrus and the other guardians need you right away. You shouldn't keep them waiting any longer than necessary."

Crona's brows jumped. "Y-you're not coming with me?" Certo stared at her and it took a couple moments for Crona to see what he was trying to do. "I guess you should go check and make sure your niece is ok. It may also avoid any more conflict with Cryus."

Certo nodded. "I don't know what he has against me or why he thinks of us the way he does."

"I don't know either," Crona replied as they continued walking. "But maybe it's the way you treated him when we first started attending lessons at the academy. That might have something to do with it."

"What do you mean?" Certo turned his head and raised a skeptical brow at her.

"You don't remember?" Crona gave him a suspicious stare, trying to see if he was hiding anything from her again. He shook his head, genuinely indicating that he had no idea what she was talking about. "First day of classes? He said he warned you about Titanus?" Certo stopped in the middle of the street again and gave Crona a skeptical look that bordered on the verge of disgusted. "Ring a bell?" The black dragon only leered at her as she waited patiently. "You can't be serious." Crona groaned, realizing what he was indicating. "Damn it."

The white dragoness sat nearly dumbstruck for a minute. Was Certo the only male dragon her age she could trust? She gave a low hissing sigh and rubbed her forehead with the pads of her paws. "Alright, I'll have to deal with him later then. If I don't see you at the temple, I'll come grab you before we're done."

Certo nodded and moved to head towards Kia's home. After a few steps he paused. "Crona," he called back over his shoulder. The dragoness stopped and looked back at him. Certo turned away from her feeling a pang of guilt for being torn away. "Be careful."

Crona watched as he walked off down the winding streets. If it were anyone else, they probably would have laughed at him. But she knew too well the dangers that could have lurked about the streets of the early morning. "You too," She whispered into the wind.

By the time she arrived at the council chambers, the plaza was already buzzing with noise. Dragons from the surrounding pavilions were already awake and standing in the streets and on their balconies to see what all the commotion was about. There were around a couple hundred dragons gathered, from what Crona could see as she hurried down the hill. She made her way through the crowd and to the temple entrance where the sentries bowed politely, ushering her inside.

The temple itself was rather noisy too, with the sound of voices echoing from the various chambers of the guardians. As she walked down the hall, she could see groups of sentries in the guardians' private chambers, looking over maps, and fitting armor to their fellow squad-mates. Never before had Nitrus been so serious about something of this magnitude. When the guards saw her coming down the hall, they straightened up as if she were their commanding officer. Immediately her wings ruffled uncomfortably. It was one thing for Nitrus to value her opinion, but to be seen as a leader just did not sit well in her stomach.

Crona took in a deep breath before entering the main conference room. Inside, Nitrus looked up from his pedestal, having been talking to Captain Cytros beforehand. Beside him sat Amp and Kia in their respective places. Sin rested calmly in an almost meditative position, his eyes closed, the rest of his body barely moving as he breathed. Cytros sat beside Nitrus's pedestal with a stressed expression on his face. Cryus sat beside Amp and turned his head away in disgust. Crona did not even bother to shoot him a glare, as much as she wanted to.

"Crona, I'm glad you're here." Nitrus yawned, already exhausted from being up so early. "Lieutenant Voltrus has brought us some disturbing news about Titanus, and we are assembling our forces in order to deal with the situation. But I wished to ask your opinion on whether or not sending nearly all of our forces out to handle this conflict would be the best choice of action."

"What is the situation exactly?" Crona asked, narrowing her eyes at the faces around the room. An army of dragons was more than just a bit drastic, especially during this time period when war was unknown to almost anyone.

"It's difficult to explain." Cytros sighed, rather annoyed that even he had very limited intel. "Apparently he has been up to something so… I can't even find words to describe it. But it has caused the situation to escalate into something far more serious. Something not a mere trial can fix right away."

Crona's lips scrunched up. It was not like the captain to be this ill-informed about anything. It had occurred to her that it would take some effort to bring Titanus and even Tectonica to justice, but to order the formation of an army made her intestines gurgle nervously. Was an army really necessary to begin with? What good would an army be to the dragons of the world anyways? Forming an army would only entice others to form armies in retaliation and continue an unending cycle of creating the strongest force.

The young dragoness opened her mouth to speak but paused again. War was already upon them and it was clear that the dragons were going to have to learn how to fight effectively and without restraint in the face of extinction. "Perhaps forming an army now is just what we need in order to survive," She pondered to herself. She glanced over at Sin whose eyes remained shut. The idea of consulting with him crossed her mind for a split second, but she then decided against it. Most likely he would only give her another riddle or answer her question with a ridiculous one of his own.

"I'm not one for fighting, Nitrus," She finally spoke after several long, intense minutes. "But I do believe that we need to do what must be done. We have to think of the big picture here. If we let the situation continue without any sort of attempt to control it, we may never be able to rectify the damage later on." A sigh escaped from her maw and she bobbed her head slightly. "That being said, I think it is best we take care of the situation now before it grows any more out of hand."

"Very well Crona. Thank you for your opinion." Nitrus bowed thankfully. "Go and inform Certo of what is going on. He may have that unborn child to look after but he at least has the right to know what is going on."

"I will." Crona nodded.

Nitrus turned to Cytros and his expression grew even more serious. Crona had not seen the ice guardian look so stern since Certo had been found and brought into his home. "Captain, have your fellow sentries fitted for battle. The moment everyone is assembled and equipped, we are moving out. Understood?"

"I understand!" The fire-breather saluted sharply with a wing. He gave an abrupt turn and hurried out of the room, barking orders to the guards in the halls.

As his voice echoed behind her, Crona looked back at Nitrus who looked even more fatigued. He was serious about his duties as a guardian as well as a father; but war was not an affair he wished to partake in. He exhaled softly, letting a cloud of ice flow from his nostrils. "Ampus, go to Terra. I want you to spend as much time with her as you can before we leave."

Amp looked up at his mentor with a worried look in his eyes. It was a look Crona knew all too well from when she was just a child herself. Right before any battle her father would gather her and her mother up for the night, huddling close to both of them, as if he were afraid to let them go. She watched as the young guardian descended from his pedestal and walked past Crona. He barely was able to keep his head up to glance at her out of the corner of his eye, making Crona feel a pang of guilt deep in her heart. It was as if the decision to mobilize an army of dragons solely depended on her opinion.

She let out a weak sigh. It was too late to turn back time now, even if she knew how.

"Are you alright?" Kia asked gently, leaning towards Nitrus as he rubbed the side of his head with his knuckles.

The ice guardian gave a low grunt. "Curse Volcanus," He grumbled." Curse all of us. We have been so blind for so long. And now look at us. Look at where our arrogance has left us."

"I know how you feel," Kia murmured, looking back at Crona who was feeling worse and worse by the minute. "But we have to do what's necessary to protect the innocent. It's our duty. I admit that I never thought I would be directly involved in anything of this nature. But I took an oath when I was chosen to be a guardian to stand by our morals and values. And that has not changed, Nitrus."

"We're dragons!" Nitrus snarled, startling everyone except for Sin. "Our enemy is the apes, who hunt us for our blood! Not each other!" The guardian looked like a dragon at the end of his patience. "I'm sorry," he apologized, stepping off his pedestal. "I should let you all leave to find some time with your loved ones." He glanced over at the water dragon who forced himself not to look at Crona. "Cryus, that means you too."

"Yes sir," The blue dragon muttered He placed his head on top of his paws, but did not move from his seat. Nitrus continued past Crona and into the hallway. After a long sigh that sent a chill throughout the chamber, Kia rose to her feet and moved towards the door.

"Come on Crona. I'm sure Certo is anxiously waiting for us to return."

The white dragoness only nodded and followed after her. Just before she disappeared into the halls, she turned and looked back at Sin; the oracle still had not moved. Crona rolled her eyes and exited the conference room. Once she was gone, the white dragon's eyelid cracked open for a split second before closing again.

The walk back to Kia's home was quiet. By now the city was coming to life and the unknowing civilians gathered in the streets for their daily routines. Passers-by bowed politely to Kia and nodded to Crona as they made their way home.

"Do you really believe what you said back there?" Crona asked once they had arrived at the front entrance to the air guardian's pavilion.

"About standing by my values as a guardian?" Crona nodded and a soft smile spread across Kia's muzzle. "I do. And I get the feeling it will be harder to stand by those morals the longer this goes on."

"You have no idea," Crona mumbled.

Kia cocked her head sideways and studied the young dragoness. "Crona, may I ask you a question?" The white dragoness looked up curiously, as if giving silent permission to proceed. "Where do you come from?"

Crona's heart began to beat rapidly inside her chest. "Wh-why? Is there something wrong?" She stammered.

"No," Kia shook her head. "I'm only curious is all. Everyone here knows that you're wiser beyond your years, much in the same way Sin is. I was wondering if perhaps you both came from the same place."

Crona raised a brow. "Where is he from?"

The green dragoness only shrugged. "No one knows really. He's been part of our culture for so long no one knows how he got here in the first place. Sin is just an accepted member of society, so no one really questions his origins. The strange part is, he has not seemed to age in the years we've known him."

"Interesting." Crona pretended to ponder over the guardians words. The news that Sin never seemed to age came at no surprise to her. "Well I can tell you one thing; he and I are not from the same place. But as far as wisdom goes, I only speak from experience. I can only speak from experience." Crona moved to duck under the curtain to the front entrance. "That, and I listen to my heart to tell me what's right."

Kia watched as she walked away to the back room where she was certain Certo was waiting for her. "But that didn't answer my initial question."

"How is she?" Crona asked as she walked over to the bed of pillows.

"A little chilled when I arrived," He answered, nudging the egg shell with his horns. "But she's doing better now."

"It's a good thing Kia has so many blankets to help keep the heat in."

Certo nodded and his expression quickly darkened. "So how bad is it?" Crona stared him in eyes, and Certo could see just how upset she was. "What's the plan now?"

Crona sighed as she lay down beside him and scooted close; his warm body felt soft and soothing. "Nitrus has Captain Cytros mobilizing the city guard. All dragons who are willing to fight are being suited up as we speak." She turned her head to look at him. Certo lay his head down and stared into her eyes. "Things are going to get worse before they get better, Certo. I just want you to know that."

The black dragon's eyelids drooped slightly, giving him a drone-like complexion. "I'm prepared for the worst."

"They have no idea what's about to hit." Crona shook her head and leaned against his side more. "These dragons aren't ready for something this big."

"And you are?"

Crona would have laughed had she been in a better mood. "I thought I was, but the truth is, this war is real. Dragons are going die just as much as the apes. And there's nothing I can say or do to make it any less painful."

"Crona." Certo draped a wing over her and pulled her close to his side, causing her to squeak in surprise. "You have your own obligations at home. You worry about them and I'll worry about things here."

"I know that." Crona snorted, not too thrilled about the black dragon sounding like her father. "But still, this is big. Maybe too big. Even for you and me."

"Listen to me, Crona." Certo brought his fierce eyes to lock with hers. "We can do this. I made a promise to you to get you home safe. I'll keep that promise." Crona found herself staring into his blue eye as if diving deep into a good book. "You don't have to worry about me," Certo murmured, nudging her cheek with his snout. "We'll make it together."

A faint hint of a smile tugged at Crona's cheek. "Thanks Certo." She scooted closer to him and his niece before resting her horns on his shoulder. Her eyes came to rest on the glossy black shell and her thoughts continued in private. "Truth is though, I do worry about you. I always will. I'm sitting beside you and I'm worrying even now." As she continued to look at the egg, she remembered a previous idea that had popped into her mind the previous night. "I think I have a name thought up for your niece if you want to hear it."

Certo's tail spines perked up at that. "Oh?"

"I was thinking last night, about something my mother used to do for me when I was a child." She turned her eyes on him. "She used to sing to me."

"Sing?" Certo cocked his head slightly.

"You know, lullabies. Just sort of a way to calm me down before putting me to sleep at night."

"Oh I see." Certo nodded, not fully grasping the concept as his parents had never sang him to sleep at night, or done anything besides escorting him and his sibling to their chamber.

Crona could see he did not fully get it, but if she took the time to explain it to him anymore, she would be diverting his attention from what she really wanted to say. "How does the name Pip sound?"

"Pip?" Certo raised a curious brow.

"It means 'bird song'. I think it's sad that you think so low of your family despite what they did. But I was thinking it might have a more lighthearted feel to it and it will give you hope for a happy future."

"Pip…" Certo tasted the name on his tongue. It was an odd name, but he could not find any reason to reject it. "Alright then Crona. Pip is what we shall call her."

"You like it?" Crona asked, somewhat enthusiastically. She was trying to read if he was going along with it just for the sake of it, or actually taking a liking to the name. She could not tell one-hundred percent.

Certo bobbed his head once. "I do." He turned to nuzzle his niece's shell and admire the colors dancing off its glossy surface. "I like the name because it will at least be something for me to remember you by when you're gone." He looked back at the white dragoness after this mental thought and lay his head down beside hers. "Thanks."

"Anytime," Crona murmured, closing her eyes. It was barely even mid-morning and she already felt like she needed a nap. The rhythmic breathing of her friend beside her sent her into a deeper state of relaxation, and before she knew it, she was fast asleep.

Hours passed by with the sounds of the city mumbling beyond the balcony. Certo twitched in his sleep, his mind overrun with aimless thoughts. He woke with a slight jolt, shifting Pip's egg in the nest slightly. He pulled her closer with his paw and nuzzled her shell. She had no idea what it was like beyond the safety of her shell, and it nearly broke his heart to wish her to hatch into a world that was quickly spiraling towards destruction. Not that she would ever live long enough to see the end of the world, but she would definitely experience its hardships with full force.

The black dragon sat silently for another hour, listening to Crona's steady breathing beside him. She cooed in her sleep and gave soft purrs each time their sides brushed together. It was something he noticed that she only did when they were side by side, never when they were on opposite ends of the room.

Certo raised his head to look down at her curled up under his wing. After hearing her story for the first time, he had considered her to be lucky; never being able to vanish from the world, always being able to gather knowledge and aid in the prosperity of future generations of dragons. But now, he realized that even if she were to die, she would still have to carry the same torment along with her with each lifetime she went through. Her emotional suffering would be unending whereas he would die only once and that would be the end of it all.

A sigh filled the room and Certo withdrew his wing before getting up. The chill roused Crona from her dream and she squinted up at him sleepily. "Certo? Where are you going?"

"Nowhere," He replied calmly. "I was just going to step outside and get some fresh air."

"You were planning on going to the council chambers, weren't you?" Crona yawned and sat up, still looking fairly groggy.

Certo's blue eye twitched slightly. He hated how well she knew him sometimes. "It crossed my mind," He admitted. "But right now I also have some… personal thoughts I need to sort out."

"You want me to come with you?"

"No," he shook his head. "If you'd be willing to look after Pip for me until I return, I would deeply appreciate it."

"Alright." Crona yawned again and curled around the black egg, nuzzling the shell with her cheek. "Don't be gone too long."

"I won't." He grabbed a couple blankets and draped them over her back. Crona gave a soft draconic purr before starting to drift off again. Certo waited until she was asleep before taking flight from the balcony and gliding towards the city center. Down below, he could feel the eyes of the other dragons looking up at him. They were scared, doubtful, uncertain. This army idea was the greatest change they had experienced since his arrival and it was beginning to take its toll on them. Certo caught several of the dragons turn their gazes away as he whisked past them. He had not been given the cold shoulder in a long time, but it did not make him any less used to it. Ever since Volcanus had returned he secretly expected the blue dragon to turn some public opinions back in his favor. How much was yet to be discovered. The dragons of the city guard were too busy arming themselves to pay him much attention.

A cold breeze blew up from under Certo's wings, snapping him out of his trance. Certo pitched sideways, banking towards the back of the guardians' temple. Here, the air seemed almost warmer, but darker. Certo came in for a silent landing, just out of the sight of the sentries in front of the temple.

Behind the temple near the hidden flight of stairs stood two ice dragons in full armor. They stood poised and alert, especially with all the noise going on in the background. Certo sucked in a deep breath and strolled over to them. Both guards were surprised to see him, but bobbed their heads respectfully.

"Is Volcanus being held here?" Certo asked, getting straight to the point.

"He is." The younger guard nodded, only to be elbowed by his partner.

"May I speak with him?" Certo narrowed his eyes at the two males, not certain why they were suddenly being so secretive.

"I'm afraid we can't do that," The other guard replied. "We have strict orders not to allow the prisoner any visitors."

"I'm not here for a friendly visit." Certo growled, trying his best to keep his disgust for the former guardian in check.

"Then you had best move along Certo." The ice dragon thrust his head to the side. "It's not a good idea for you to be around Volcanus in the first place."

"I'm fully aware of that." Certo nodded. "But I don't plan on staying very long. I just have to ask him one question."

"What for?" The younger guard inquire skeptically.

"Because I have to know what to do to protect a friend I care for."

"What makes you think that he'll tell you anything to begin with?"

"He's never beaten around the bush with me before. I don't see why he would start now."

"He does have a point." The younger guard pointed out. His partner growled, a small cloud of frost hissing between his teeth. He turned and descended the stairs, leaving Certo and the younger sentry to stand in an awkward silence together. After a couple minutes the dragon returned with an irritated scowl on his face.

"You're cleared for entry. But the instant you are done, you are to come right out. Is that understood? I don't want to be doing these favors all the time."

"Don't worry, it won't become a habit." Certo bowed, for the first time ever.

The guard gave a slight nod of approval and turned back to the stairwell. "Guest coming down!" He called, his voice echoing. He stepped aside, allowing Certo to disappear inside the dungeon. At the bottom of the stairs stood another pair of guards, an ice dragon and air dragon who stood as stiff as statues. At the far end of the hallway, were two more guards standing before the iron cage.

A pair of orange eyes stared out from the darkness of the prison cell and fixated on the young air dragon. "It seems I have a visitor," the familiar voice announced with a hint of mockery. Certo felt a chill run up his spine and he felt his body become hot. He suddenly felt numb all over and it took a moment for him to finally order his body to move. Step by step he walked down the hall towards the occupied cell. The outline of Volcanus became clearer the closer he got to it. At last the fire-breather sat up and looked down disapprovingly at the young male on the other side of the bars. "So what brings you down here this fine day, Certo? Surely you don't come to admit your fault in this horrible mess." The black dragon shook his head. Volcanus sighed and lay back down on his stomach. "Oh well. I suppose I can't expect much from a feral such as yourself. You've stirred up quite the hornets' nest I hear. Forming a dragon army. And for what? A young, adolescent dragon who has wandered off on his own."

Certo remained silent as he stood, staring up at the blue dragon in the dim lantern light.

Volcanus continued without waiting for a delayed response. "Never before have our kind needed to form such a monstrosity. I only hope that they will see what this will bring to them if they decide to go through with this." Volcanus then leaned towards the bars until his snout was just inches away from Certo. The guards took a step forward, ready to order him to back away, but Certo's tail blade swished through the air, warning them off. The sentries backed away but continued to keep an eye on the former guardian. "I know that you have a vendetta against my grandson, but making things up to deal with him is a dirty tactic not even the most disgusting feral would take." He pulled away and curled up back in his corner. "But I assure you Certo, you will be abandoned, and eventually forgotten. What you are doing is bringing about misery to our kind. Once you have passed on, I hope your soul will be able to rest in peace, knowing what you have done to our kind."

That was all Certo needed to hear. He turned and walked back towards the stairwell. Just before he started up the stairs the fire breather called out to him again.

"Out of pure curiosity, Certo. What do you plan to do once you defeat my grandson?"

Certo stopped and thought for a moment. He cared nothing for Titanus, but there was only one reason for him to do so. "Protect Crona."

Volcanus watched him leave before settling his head on top of his paws. After several long minutes of silent thought, he began a broken rhythm of tapping on the floor with his claws.

"We can rest here for tonight," Nitrus announced as he and Captain Cytros brought the flight of dragons down to the ground. "Everyone rest up; we move out at dawn." The order was answered with silent head bobs as the dragon warriors went about making themselves comfortable for the night. It would not be easy for many who donned large amounts of heavy armor. Most of the dragons broke away to get a drink at the river nearby. Certo took a quick couple mouthfuls alongside Crona before turning back to camp to set up a resting spot for them.

As she drank greedily, Crona felt a presence come up behind her. Her spines stood erect and she stopped time long enough for her to glance over her shoulder. When she saw who it was she gave an irritated hiss, letting time continue its course.

"Have you seen yet what I've been talking about?" Cryus asked. "Certo may be the victim in your eyes but to the rest of us, he has just forced us to wage war."

"He didn't do anything." Crona snorted, sending the few remaining droplets that clung to her face flying. "It was not Certo's choice to form an army; it was that of all of us. If anyone wished to object they were not being held back from doing so."

"When they are pressured by you and him, no one can speak their minds!"

"That's not true at all young dragon." Crona and Cryus turned to see they had attracted the attention of a couple nearby sentries. "If anything, Crona has been the insightful one, giving us choices to choose for ourselves. If you took the time to get to know her better, you would see that she takes time to think about the big picture. Not just the here and now."

Cryus gave the guards an angry stare as they walked back to the campground. When he turned back, Crona shoved past him. "Where are you going? We're not done talking."

"You might not be, but I am," Crona growled. "There's nothing to talk about."

"Yes there is," Cryus shot back. He stepped on her tail spade to keep her from walking away another step.

"Get off!" Crona snarled, her eyes seeming to light up with a power that sent a bolt of fear through the water dragon's body, even for a split second.

"There is nothing just or right about what is going on right now and you can stop it. All you have to…"

"And there's nothing just or right about you lying to me about Certo. You never talked to him that first day like you claimed. I believed you. I trusted you. I hated him because of you."

"You think he would have listened even if i had?"

"Most likely not, but that doesn't change the fact that you lied to me."

Cryus paused. She had him cornered with no way for him to rationalize his way out. His eyes fell towards her tail spade. In the moonlight he could just barely make out the tooth marks embedded in her skin. A wave of heat swept over him and his gaze snapped up to meet her fierce, angry eyes.

"You and I will not be talking any time soon, if ever again, Cryus," She glared at him and the glow of the moons seemed to intensify in her eyes. "As far as I'm concerned, you are no better than Volcanus and Tectonica."

Those words hit the water dragon full force, as if she were slamming her entire weight into him. Cryus's paw lifted off of Crona's spade. She gave it a quick flip, spattering a few mud spots onto his chest before turning away in a disgusted huff.

The guardian watched her walk away until she disappeared into the crowd of dragon bodies. After a tense moment he let out a heavy gasp, unaware he had been barely breathing the entire time. His body suddenly felt cold and hot all over. His head began swimming and he staggered into the river before plunging into its depths.

When Crona found Certo, he was already curled up on a pile of dead leaves. He raised a wing, inviting her to bed down beside him. Crona lay down on the pile and scooted as close as she could to the black dragon; he was surprisingly warm in this chilly, open air. She let out a depressed sigh as Certo brought his wing to cover her body. Even though she had her best friend beside her, she still uncomfortably anxious. It was a feeling she had not felt since she and Certo had started getting along; like when she had started to believe things were making sense, they would suddenly fall apart.

Certo stared at her in the moonlight, watching her eyelids slowly droop until they were shut. After a few minutes, he nudged his cheek alongside hers, grazing her soft scales with his horns. "I'll be right next to you if you need me," He whispered, sensing her fatigue.

"I know," she whispered back, a faint smile pulling at the edges of her mouth. "Thanks."

Certo gave a soft growl and nudged her once more before closing his eyes for the night.

The next three days dragged on as the flight of dragons traveled across the countryside. Everyone flew in moderate silence, knowing what lay ahead, but unsure of what to expect. The nights were spent noisily rolling about, bumping into one another in their restless sleep. When they were on the move Kia and the few air dragons available took the lead position of the formation. With their ability to control the current of the wind, their distance nearly doubled with less lag holding the formation back.

By the middle of the fourth day, Crona was beginning to feel her anxiety catch up with her.

"Aren't you the one to always tell me to calm down?" Certo pointed out, breaking away from the formation so they could speak in private.

"I know," Crona admitted, slightly irritated with him for pointing out her hypocritical behavior. "But in all honesty, I'd never heard of Titanus until I came to this time. I have no idea how this is going to end Certo, or how it should end."

"Why don't you relax and figure it out that way? You're always one to point out that a clear mind is what gets you through any situation."

Crona ground her teeth, continuing to give him a disgruntled stare. Normally she would have expected any other dragon to give a complacent grin. No such expression spread across Certo's face; he was dead serious about the situation at hand. Looking at him now, Crona realized that his expression had not changed since they had left the city. Her own attitude grew more serious and she nodded once.

Up ahead, Kia began to shift uneasily as the air dragons switched positions. The air was growing warmer and the clouds overhead were getting darker. She broke from the group and took up position back beside Nitrus.

"Have you noticed as well?" The ice dragon's eyes seemed to reflect the darkness of the looming clouds overhead.

"Yes, it's getting warmer." Kia growled, the sound carrying through the passing wind current. "It's unnatural at this time of year."

"We're getting closer," Voltrus muttered darkly. "It's just like when we found him before." He glanced to his side at Mateo who was flying alongside him. The young ice dragon wore steel armor, polished to a glossy shine. The armored dragon would not leave Voltrus's side during the time the sentries were suiting up for battle. Certo's words had been burned into his mind, and would remain with him until his time ran out. He had been determined to be of use to those who were willing to fight, but seeing the grey clouds overhead once more instilled a strong sense of doubt. There was no way that he or Voltrus had been able to explain what they saw. All they knew was that it would take the effort of every available dragon to deal with the situation.

"What can we expect next lieutenant?" Nitrus shot the sentry a quick, yet stone cold stare out of the corner of his eye. Before Voltrus could answer, his eyes lifted to the sky overhead.

"We're almost there," He snarled, his voice rumbling in the back of his throat.

"How can you be sure?" Kia squinted into the distance. The mountains rose up over the horizon and the clouds only seemed to grow darker beyond.

"Trust me, Master Kia, when I say it only gets worse."

It was another couple hours until the dragoness was able to understand the sentry's words. The dragons watched as the ground beneath them turned from the once rich green of their home to black, rock and dirt, burned to a crisp.

"Dear ancestors." Nitrus gasped and his eyes grew wide in horror.

All around, the earth was scorched black. The trees were now dead heaps of petrified wood. Any underbrush that had once been there was nothing more than a pile of charred remains on the landscape. Nothing moved as far as the eye could see. The wind itself was barely enough to disturb the burned earth.

"How could anyone have done this?" Amp shook his head. Deep down he felt the icy fingers of fear poking at his heart, making him wish he were back home in Terra's embrace. He banked slightly towards Mateo who seemed to be lost in his own private thoughts. "Did Titanus really do… all this?"

Mateo only responded with a glance out of the corner of his eye. He could not bring himself to answer the guardian.

"Voltrus, how far are we away from finding Titanus?" Cytros asked, clearly not in any mood to have the lightning dragon dodge a direct answer this time.

"I would say no more than a day's travel at this point." The lieutenant answered despondently. "

"In that case I suggest we rest for the day," Nitrus sighed, already feeling morally drained. "If we are close to finding Titanus, and if we truly need a force this size to bring him in…"

"I'm sorry, Master Nitrus," Voltrus apologized. "I wish I was of more use to you, but there's just no way any one dragon could understand or even comprehend what it was we discovered. Even my scouts and I still have trouble grasping the fact that we need so much support just for one dragon."

"I hope that for your honor's sake, lieutenant, that this one dragon truly requires all this effort." Voltrus was silent and hung his head almost shamefully.

"Master Nitrus, in all respect, I do not like Voltrus's recent reports or unacceptable reasoning either. But i have also put my complete faith and trust in him to know what he is doing in the field. But until we solve this issue, I recommend we put aside our judgments."

Nitrus eyed the fire dragon for several minutes. A private conversation seemed to be passing between them as they continued on. "Very well." Nitrus nodded. "Captain, I trust you will take responsibility for your subordinates as well. Until tomorrow, let us rest as much as we can." He turned to Kia who nodded before flying to the front of the formation. The guardian gave a quick flick of her tails and dove towards the ground. The flight of dragons followed closely, descending towards the burned hills below. A murmur of discomfort spread throughout the ranks as the dragons came to land on the hard ground.

The moment Crona's paws touched the ground she gave a cringe as she watched her paws turn dark with soot. Certo landed beside her, but did not pay much mind to the soot that covered his paws. "How could one dragon do all this?" Certo shook his head. "I know I was… well, bad when… but…"

"How could Titanus do all this?" Crona whimpered. "I knew he was bad but i didn't think he was this bad." Without thinking she reached up to rub her forehead and ended up leaving a black smudge across her white scales. The dragoness gave a light groan because of her absentmindedness.

Seeing this, Certo leaned over and used the ball of his wing's wrist to rub off the black cinders. Crona blushed slightly but was too tired to care much beyond that. She leaned her head against Certo's chest and tried to listen to his heartbeat. The black dragon normally would have been embarrassed by the gesture; but right now she needed him, and he would have to be strong for her.

"We'll make it together." He whispered again, hoping that his earlier words would settle the white dragoness's nerves. The black dragon inhaled and blew up a cloud of soot off the ground. Crona flinched, expecting the flakes to cover her and Certo. Instead, he gave a quick flap of his wings and sent the cloud away from the camp ground. "At least lay down so you can rest."

Crona sighed. "I'll try." She was tired from all the flying, however the uneasy feeling in the pit of her stomach would not make falling asleep any easy task. She lay down beside him, allowing him to curl his tail around her, minding his deadly blade. The dragoness put her head next to Certo's and stared into his eyes. He looked so serious, but still calm; not like his normally rash-behaving self. His stare was blank and Crona began to wonder what he was thinking about. The black dragon's eyelids started to fall, slowly at first, and before long he was sound asleep.

"How is it you can sleep so easily when so much is going on around you?" She thought to herself. Crona began noticing the jaggedness of the scars across his face. The one across his forehead was noticeable but not as deep as the one across his snout and over his right eye. "I suppose after all you've been through, you're used to it, sleeping with no real notion what may happen to you next." She raised her wing and drew one of her barbs along the scar over his eye. Certo curled his lip in his sleep, but did not wake. Another sigh whistled from between her teeth as she draped her wing over his back. Again, his lip curled and he curled into a tighter ball around her.

Crona did not realize until now, that perhaps Certo really was protective of her because of the unlikely friendship they shared. Every time the apes had attacked, or Titanus had approached her, he was there beside her, ready to help her if she so needed. And now Titanus was willing to make a deal with Neros in order to get Certo out of the way for good; and all just to get at her. She did not notice that she had tears swelling up around the rims of her eyes until her vision began to blur. She rubbed her face, making sure not to get any soot in her eyes and washed the tears away.

"I wish I could make your suffering just disappear," She whimpered, pulling the black dragon closer to her. She was growing more tired by the second and her eyelids started to droop as well. "I wish we could make each other's suffering just disappear."

A loud sneeze roused Crona from her sleep. A gust of warm wind blew over her and she felt dust brush against her hide. An irritated groan escaped from Certo as snorted several times, trying to relieve the burning feeling in his nostrils. Crona opened her eyes and yawned. A small dust cloud tickled her nose and she gave a sharp sneeze.

"Ugh! My ancestors!" She exclaimed, suddenly crinkling her muzzle at the burning irritation. She gave a few more quick snorts to blow the dust out and wipe her nose. It was then she got her first look at the landscape. What had once been dark and barren earth was now covered in a light grey blanket. Her first impression was that it had snowed during the night. But snow never looked this dirty; nor was it this warm during the snowy season.

Certo seemed to read her expression. "That's not snow."

"No it's not," she agreed. "It's ash."

The black dragon fell silent, staring at her, watching her complexion to see if it would change. When it did not, he turned to look at the mountains in the distance with a scowl on his face.

All around, dragons were waking up as more and more sentries continued to pace about. They were looking rather anxious and Crona could tell by the way their armor rattled with their strides. In the distance she could see dragons flying to and from the mountains, pausing to hover in the air before returning to the camp or flying back towards the range. A lot of the dragons were still asleep; the reserves who were not accustomed to waking at early hours of the day. The few sentries that passed barely made any sign showing any sort of recognition to the young dragons.

"What's going on?" Crona asked, stretching herself out and popping her vertebrae. She shook herself, sending flakes of ash everywhere. Certo gave another snort and blew the specks away to avoid more fits of sneezing.

Certo's scowl grew darker. "The earth dragons have been up for at least a few hours. From what I've been able to gather, there have been reports that something is disturbing the earth. I haven't heard if they have found the cause of the disturbance yet. I've only been up for an hour myself."

Crona watched as the sentries continued to pace and glide about the sky, wavering slightly before jerking back upright as if they had been startled by something no one could see. "It looks like whatever it is has everyone pretty spooked." She turned her head to glance at him sideways. "What sort of disturbances have they been feeling?"

The black dragon shrugged. "All I've heard was reports of tremors and mild shaking of the ground. But I can't feel anything."

"Well you're not an earth dragon, Certo. I doubt that you could unless the force was significant enough."

"I was referring to what I can do," He snapped, only enticing a slight grin at the corner of her mouth. Seeing this, his temper subsided. "I haven't sensed anything unusual in the air. I figure if the ground is shaking then there must be some sort of disturbance in the air around us."

"One moment, let me try something." Crona sat up straight and closed her eyes to concentrate. If she could tap into the fidgety earth magic of the blue mist, she may be able to detect the source of the dragons' worries with more ease.

Beside her, Certo watched, impatiently tapping his tail blade against the charred ground. Crona's brow furrowed and a frown spread across her muzzle. She curled her lip as she tried concentrating harder on the blue mist. The earth element had always been the hardest for her to control, much less find but it had never been this difficult. "Why is this not working?" She hissed to herself. "I can't find it anywhere." In her mind's eye, all she could see was the magic elements residing within the dragons around them, as well as the crimson entity that was her friend beside her.

A startled gasp escaped from her maw as she jolted in place. Her eyes snapped wide open and her mouth hung slack as she stared into Certo's eyes.

"What? What is it? What's wrong?" Seeing the way her eyes seemed to waver in fright was making his own nerves begin to give out on him.

"It…It's gone…" She gasped, her breathing suddenly beginning to speed up.

"What is? What's gone?" Certo exclaimed, getting to his feet.

"The blue mist." The black dragon cocked his head curiously, not understanding what she was referring to. "The blue mist! It's the magical energy that flows through our world!" Crona closed her eyes to concentrate again; maybe she had not tried hard enough the first time. After another failed attempt she looked back up at him. "It's completely gone! It's been burned away with everything else here!"

Certo was beginning to get annoyed with her explanation. "So what does that mean?"

"That's the thing!" Crona snapped. "I don't know!" Certo recoiled from her sudden outburst and Crona hung her head in despair. "I just don't know." She dug her talons into the hard ground, grinding up chunks between her digits. "This is bad Certo. Really, really bad."

Certo shook his head and curled his lip in frustration. "Crona, I'm sorry. But you need to settle down! I don't understand what you're trying to say!"

The white dragoness turned her snout up to him and pressed her nose to his. "Magic is everywhere Certo, no matter how much or little! But this entire area is completely barren! It' not natural! I haven't seen any area this depleted of magic since you…"

Sudden shouts interrupted the dragoness's hysteria. Both looked up to see the dragons closer towards the mountain range take flight. Overhead, sentries shot like armored projectiles, shouting orders to those on the ground beneath them.

"Everyone move! Now! In the air! On the double!"

"What's going on?" Crona shouted as the group of sentries rushed past them. All around, the dragons who were already awake hurried to get airborne or wake those who were still asleep. A strong wind rushed across the campground along with a flurry of wings. Certo and Crona groaned in agony as the ash blew into their faces.

The dragons who had been scaling the mountain side dove from their ledges and walls, plummeting straight towards the ground far below. Their armor was too heavy for a stationary take-off so high up. Just as they spread their wings to catch the wind a loud crack rattled the air. Certo groaned as the sound hurt his ears. He cringed and lowered his head to the ground. Crona was about to turn to him when another crack ripped across the hills. Rocks began to fall from the mountain, crashing into ledges and slamming into dragons unlucky enough to be in the path of the oncoming rockslide. The sounds of desperate cries cut through the air as the crippled sentries fell to their deaths.

"Oh my gosh," Crona gasped. She could see the fissure rip up through the side of the mountain and the range begin to crumble into dust. Overhead the sky became thick with black clouds, no longer just ash, but jet-black smoke seemed to billow up from behind the mountain range.

"Crona! Certo! Move it!" Ampus shouted as he came to hover overhead.

No sooner had the words left the guardian's mouth than the mountainside exploded outward, sending boulders and rocks shrouded in blue fire flying across the horizon.

"Incoming!" A sentry shouted, now fully awake and leaping into the air. Loud whistles cut through the air as the flaming rocks came crashing to the ground.

All around, the grounded dragons scrambled to get out of the way. The rocks crushed several nearby sentries on impact. Others were knocked to the ground crippled from the blows before being smashed into the hard earth.

"Certo move!" Crona shouted, spreading her wings and springing off the ground

"I'm right behind you!" He shouted, blowing a strong gust beneath her wings to propel her higher. He leaped up himself and beat his wings hard. Crona squeaked and backwinged as a flaming boulder cut across her flight path.

"Behind you!" An earth dragon shouted. He fired a blast of green energy from his jaws, destroying the large rock that threatened to crush the young dragoness. Crona screamed as the debris pelted her back, but left her unharmed. She turned and glanced over her shoulder to see Certo right behind her; as he said he would be.

A burning chunk of granite hit the ground with crushing impact before bouncing back up at Certo. Crona bared her teeth before freezing time in its place. She dove towards her friend and pressed her tail spade to his nose. "Hurry!" She ordered. The black dragon clamped down onto her tail with his jaws and followed closer. The young chronicler released time and watched as the slab of stone rushed past, before crumbling to a halt.

Behind them, an angry roar thundered through the air. The dragons all cried out in pain as their ear drums pulsed from the booming noise. When the rumble had died away, the dragons stared at what had once been a towering mountain, which now lay in ruins across the landscape.

"By the ancestors." An ice sentry gasped in astonishment.

"Certo." Crona squeaked, hovering closer to her friend. Her throat suddenly felt dry and her breathing was becoming even more forced.

"No way." Amp shook his head.

"No wonder Voltrus could not explain to us what he saw." Nitrus muttered to Cytros. Both males were dusty from the falling debris and stared in stupefaction at the towering behemoth over their heads as he emerged from the cloud of smoke, blue flames licking at the rims of his mouth.

Titanus towered over the dragons of the city with eyes that had turned to feral-like slits. His body had literally grown to the size of the mountain itself, his scales, which had been armored before, now thicker and harder than stone. The horns that lined his face and body could have easily been the size of a dragon pavilion for five adult dragons. Titanus took a step forward as if moving in slow motion. Once his foot hit the ground, the earth cracked and a geyser of lava erupted from the burned lands. The fire-breather did not seem affected in the slightest. His paws were already covered in solidified volcanic rock which cracked and re-solidified with each passing step.

"What in the ancients names has that dragon been doing?" Kia exclaimed as she moved away from a passing leg.

All at once Titanus stopped. His eyes scanned the sky as the dragon guard stared in horror at him. It was then his sinister orange eyes fell upon Crona. The white dragoness felt her blood turn to water and she moved closer to Certo, trying not to bump his wings. Seeing the black dragon beside her made the mutated monster curl his lips, revealing yellow teeth.

"Uh oh," Amp swallowed hard.

Titanus's chest began to swell with air as he inhaled deeply. The dragon guard glanced uneasily at one another, perplexed by what he was doing. Once Titanus had all the air he wanted, he gave a sharp hiss. Certo's body suddenly lit up with karma and he broke away from Crona.

The white dragoness's cry was immediately engulfed by the explosion of Titanus's vocal chords. Certo flew as far ahead of the sentries as he could, sucking in as much air as possible. Just before the shockwave hit, the black dragon thrust his head forwards releasing his own sonic blast. The power of the air dragon's attack clashed with the vibrations from the monster's roar before being overpowered. The wind howled and Certo was thrown back by the sudden hurricane-like force.

Certo beat his wings wildly, trying to turn himself upright. His entire head spun sickeningly. His vision blurred for a moment and it took him a moment to get his bearings straight. Once his vision cleared he could see the monstrosity taking in another deep breath, this time a blue light emanating from the back of his throat.

Crona noticed as well. "Everyone scatter!" She shouted and dove towards the ground. The dragons flew in every direction, bumping into one another, hissing angrily for the other not paying attention to where they were going. "Oh no," Crona wheezed.

Another bellowing cry erupted from Titanus's lungs and a beam of fiery blue energy cut across the horizon. Certo beat his wings hard, shooting straight up into the sky. Below him, the dragons of the guard burned away, leaving only clouds of ash and droplets of melted metal. Seeing the sight set off a rage deep inside the young dragon he had never felt before. He banked towards the side and away from the other dragons. Titanus followed, his deadly breath attack cutting deep wounds into the landscape. The ground burned with white hot, liquid rock as the black dragon tried to stay ahead of his enemy's fiery breath.

"He's going after Certo!" Kia cried.

"Everyone, attack!" Cytros yelled at the top of his lungs, spewing a raging fireball. The remaining guards gathered below the range of Titanus's breath attacks and fired a unified volley of ice and fireballs. Overhead, the thunder rumbled in the clouds before arching down to strike the blue dragon on the back of his neck. The fire-breather snarled in irritation and closed his jaws. His head tilted to the side to fix the dragons and the guardians with an evil eye. Seeing Kia and Nitrus only seemed to anger the beast further. He began to inhale, as flames leaped from his mouth.

A sonic roar struck the fire breather in the cheek, barely making him twitch his head in response. Every head turned as Certo charged forward at top speed. Titanus opened his mouth to snarl as the black dragon shot past him. The sound never left his mouth as Certo sucked the wind right out of his throat. The black dragon banked hard, shooting around the side of the dragon's thick neck and back around to the front.

Certo's breathing became slower as he did another lap around Titanus's head. He would have to concentrate a lot if his idea was going to work. With each pass he would inhale slowly, drawing more and more air from the fire-breather's lungs. Titanus was almost immediately feeling the effects of the lack of oxygen. His eyes began to roll back in his head and he began to cough harshly.

"Again!" Cytros ordered, and another volley of elements followed. Titanus growled as the fireballs and icy spears struck his hide. The energy blasts from the earth dragons did little to affect him as did the bolts from the lightning dragons.

After the sixth lap, Certo broke away as the breath attacks exploded against Tetanus's body. The wind continued to blow in a tornado-like fashion about the blue dragon's head, sucking away any oxygen he needed to use his signature element. Certo's scars blazed bright and his bad eye burned with anger.

"I won't let you hurt anyone else ever again," He growled to himself. His jaws opened wide as a charged bolt of karma formed at the back of his mouth.

"Certo don't!" Crona screamed, seeing what he was about to do.

All of a sudden a roar echoed overhead and blue fire washed through the darkened clouds. Every head turned to see a blue dragon burst from the cover of the smoke and dive right for Certo. The black dragon gave a startled squawk and banked to the side as Volcanus slashed at him with his long claws. For a dragon of his age, he was certainly much faster than anyone could have predicted.

"Volcanus?" Cytros gasped in surprise. "How on earth did he escape from…"

Another roar came from the clouds overhead. Certo turned his attention away from the former fire guardian just in time to get hit with the crushing force of an earth dragoness's earth missile. The bolt of karma went off course, shooting off to the southwest, before exploding in brilliant flash of light.

Tectonica charged after Certo as he fell towards the ground below. The young dragon was trying to recover from her surprise attack as she closed the gap between them. Certo opened his wings, slowing his fall but giving Tectonica the chance she needed to get close to him. The earth dragoness shrouded herself in eerie green energy before grabbing Certo in her talons. He snarled and clawed at her to let him go. His futile attempts only made her laugh.

"I've been waiting to do this ever since I laid eyes on you." Tectonica brought her tail club up before bringing it crashing down on top of Certo. The black dragon did not so much as utter a cry as he plummeted to his certain death.

Just as he was about to hit the scorching hot earth, Crona grabbed him and the two tumbled across the ground. The white dragoness had been caught off guard herself by the sudden appearance of Volcanus and Tectonica and had nearly watched her best friend fall to his death right in front of her.

"Certo!" She cried, trying to rouse him awake. "Certo can you hear me? Certo!" No response came from the black dragon. Crona squeezed her eyes shut and grit her teeth in anger, before turning a heated glare towards the two former guardians. Volcanus only stared back at her blankly, as if nothing had happened, while Tectonica wore a deeply satisfied smile on her muzzle. Crona felt her body temperature rise and a deep feeling of hate swell up from inside her. A blue, mist-like aura began to surround her as her muscles flexed and her rage increased. "You two… are always harassing Certo." She hissed, not caring if they heard her or not. "Why can't you just leave him alone!"

"Volcanus! Tectonica! Stop where you are!" Cytros bellowed furiously. "Lieutenant, arrest them!"

"With pleasure!" Voltrus growled and moved in with several other guards closing in behind him.

"I don't think so," Tectonica hissed. She whirled on Voltrus and struck him across the face with her tail club. The lightning dragon fell back, lucky enough to be caught by his fellow dragon squad-mates before he could fall to the ground.

"We are not here to pass judgment on the feral one," Volcanus responded, turning his orange eyes on his grandson. "We are here to aid in disciplining my own kin. And no lowly feral will be the one to do so."

"You have a funny way of displaying your intentions." Cytros leered at the blue dragon. He was thankful that Crona had been there to catch Certo. "But as I've said before, we don't need your help."

By now Titanus was beginning to get his second wind back and a low growl of annoyance resonated in his throat.

"Captain, do you know why the blue fire-breathers are so special?" Volcanus asked in an annoyingly calm voice. "We have the ability to absorb flames, even our own into our bodies, thus increasing our power and in turn our size. That is why my bloodlines have been so much greater in size than any other dragon."

"So you're giving us an explanation as to possibly how your grandson decided to grow to be an oversized, scaly blueberry?" Kia demanded.

"I am saying, Master Kia, that the only way to defeat us blue fire-breathers is to use fire with fire. We cannot grow unless we have food to metabolize our growth. If we try to use too much energy and not enough growth, we run the risk of making ourselves… well, let's just say we need a suitable vessel to house our energy."

"So you're saying the only way to stop your delinquent grandson is to overload him with his own medicine." Cytros bared his teeth and fixed the blue dragon with a piercing glare.

"That is exactly what I am saying." Volcanus bobbed his head. "Now have your troops do anything they can to distract him. I promise you they won't be able to do much, but anything will help at this point."

"Funny you should say that." Kia narrowed her eyes at him. "We had a lot more help until you decided to…"

"We will deal with him and Certo later!" Nitrus snarled, startling the wind dragoness. "Right now our priority is to stop Titanus."

"I'm glad you see it my way for once." Volcanus cocked a slight smirk as he turned towards his towering grandson. "Have the fire breathers form three groups. We will attack him in rapid succession!"

Titanus bellowed, causing the dragons to cringe from the pounding vibrations in their heads. Volcanus unleashed a fireball into his grandson's open mouth. The blast exploded and Titanus howled in pain as a chunk of his upper jaw was burned away. The beast turned his head down and fixed Volcanus with a perplexed stare.

The guards held their breath, expecting Volcanus to be snatched up in Titanus's jaws at any moment.

"You must cease this at once, Titanus," The former guardian ordered, in a calm tone. "This has gone on long enough and you have much to answer for. I do not like that feral any more than you, but your actions have led to hundreds of deaths of our own kind. I will not allow my kind to suffer at the hands of another dragon." Down on the ground, the dragons who had managed to somehow still be alive after being nearly crushed to death, called out for the help of their fellow squad-mates. Several of the dragons broke away from the formation to aid them.

Titanus's eyes followed them and his eyes fell on the white dragoness. "Crona." He muttered, his voice feeling like an earthquake. His pupils narrowed and Volcanus's eyes widened.

"You shall not go on any more!"

Titanus opened his mouth again, this time inhaling another breath for a massive fire blast. Volcanus fired another fireball into the back of his throat. The attack did not stop the blast from coming, but the explosion caused Titanus to jerk his head straight towards the ground. The wave of blue fire billowed over the ground, boiling away earth and wounded dragons until there was nothing more than a lake of molten rock.

Cytros roared, seeing his wounded comrades murdered before his eyes. He rushed straight for Titanus with his claws extended. The giant spotted him and turned, thrusting his head to ram straight into the fire guard. Cytros felt the wind rush out of him and dug his claws into the thick skin of the teenaged dragon.

"Attack!" Nitrus ordered and led a charge on Titanus. The fire dragons that followed him opened their jaws wide and fired a heavy volley of fire balls. Cytros detached from Titanus's face just in time to dodge them. Titanus snarled angrily as the breath attacks scorched the side of his face, turning his scales black. "Evade!" Nitrus called and dove down with the formation following close behind him. Titanus snapped at the dragons, narrowly missing the ones bringing up the rear.

"Form on me!" Cytros called as he climbed higher into the sky. More sentries followed after him and prepared to strike as Volcanus launched another ball of fire, charring Titanus's nostrils. The instant Titanus turned his attention away, Cytros dove for the back of his head with his squad close on his trail. The captain drew in a deep breath and unleashed a super-heated wave of fire down Titanus's neck. The sentries followed, adding their own breath attacks, leaving only the ice dragons to trail along spitting spikes of ice into the thick armored scales.

Titanus let loose another agonized cry and shook his body, trying to relieve the burning on the back of his neck. Nitrus took the chance to attack once more. He and several other ice dragons launched a volley of jagged icicles into the blue dragon's muzzle. The skin around Titanus's eyes and nostrils was significantly softer and the fire-breather bellowed in pain. Another blast from the fireballs rocked his head, inciting another thunderous roar to stun the smaller dragons.

"Follow me!" Kia shouted as she shook the dizzying feeling from her head. The dragons who were able to recover the quickest took off after her as she made a straight run for Titanus's head. The blue dragon growled and opened his mouth as flames began to rise from the back of his throat. Kia stopped to hover, inhaling deeply while exhaling at the same time. The flames in Titanus's throat began to flicker like dying candles as the oxygen levels began to deplete. The sentries took the opening and hit the giant with another wave of breath attacks. A loud moan was all Titanus could utter as he began to stagger from the hit.

"Again!" Cytros hollered and sucked in a deep breath.

"Altogether!" Nitrus shouted. The sky thundered with the battle cries of dragons. In one massive volley, they unleashed their elements upon the towering monster, striking him from all sides. Titanus wailed as the combined forces rocked him off his feet. He fell as if in slow motion, crushing more of the mountain range and cracking the earth wide open in the process.

Crona cringed and huddled closer to Certo's body, holding her wing up to shield them from the cloud of dust and ash that blew over them. Voltrus spotted her and turned to one of his subordinates. "I want you to watch after Crona and Certo. Do not let anything happen to them."

"Understood," The ice dragon nodded and dove towards the white dragoness. Once he landed in front of her, Crona peeked out from behind her wing. "Are you alright?"

"I-I'm fine," She stammered, holding Certo closer to her. The guard sighed, thankfully. A low moan echoed across the land and every head turned to stare at the downed dragon. The fallen behemoth groaned and one of his eyes cracked open. His armored skin was charred and smoking still, filling the air with the smell of burned flesh.

"Is he down for good?" Nitrus asked, moving closer to Volcanus. The sentries moved to surround the former guardians should Nitrus give the order to arrest them again. Tectonica hissed at them but Volcanus kept his eyes focused on his grandson.

"Is it over?" Crona stared in disbelief at Titanus who was slowly starting to regain his senses. The sentry who had been sent to guard her stared at the sight in silence, body tensed for if he needed to turn and protect the young dragons with his life.

The ice dragon was so focused on Titanus that he never saw the chained blade flying at him until it plunged into his throat. The male dragon jolted from the impact, his mouth opening wide as if to cry out, but only releasing a gargled noise. Crona gasped in terror as she watched the sentry fall before her, blood spurting from its neck. She tried to utter some sort of cry, but fear prevented her from sounding an alarm.

"We'll take care of Certo from here." Crona turned her head as a powerful tail swing caught her upside the head. The white dragoness crumbled to the ground with a startled squawk. Her vision blurred as she stared out at the world around her. The dragons hadn't noticed her as they were all preoccupied with Titanus. A paw set down beside her and Crona's eyes rolled up to see a pair of ruby red eyes staring back down at her. Blood trickled down the side of her head and down her neck. How had she not seen this attack coming?

Neros seemed to sense her anxiety and turned to his scout leader. "Do it. But I want her alive." The ape waddled over until he was staring straight down at her. Crona's heart began to pound against her chest.

The ape gave a toothy grin, seeing the fear in her eyes. "Sleep," he chuckled. He raised a fist and brought it crashing down on her head. Crona's world suddenly went black with a sickening crack. The ape lifted his fist, and licked the blood off his knuckles. Crona lay motionless on her side, her mouth gaping open in frozen agony as blood trickled from the open wounds on her head. The ape pressed two fingers to her throat and nodded to Neros who smiled in satisfaction.

The sound of snarling grabbed the albino's attention and he turned to see three of the other apes swatting at each other for who got to kill the black dragon.

"Stand aside!" Neros ordered, instantly ending the squabble. The apes backed away as Neros walked over and stared down at his twin. Blood trickled from Certo's nose and the corner of his mouth. The albino raised his tail blade, contemplating his next course of action. He glanced over his shoulder as the lead scout bound Crona up and slung her over his shoulder. "I'll keep you alive for now. Just in case I need to give your girlfriend a bit more motivation."

The apes watched as Neros slowly pressed his tail blade into Certo's shoulder, cutting a deep wound, trying to spill as much blood as possible. As the blood trickled down his brother's forelimb, Neros held his blade out, catching as much blood as he could, covering the tip of his tail in it. Once he was satisfied, he turned to look back over his shoulder. "Let's go. Now."

Titanus's gaze fell upon the albino dragon and his group of apes as they began slipping away. Seeing the feral dragon escaping with his prize snapped him out of his daze in a matter of seconds. A furious growl rumbled inside his body as he began to move again.

"Everyone get ready!" Nitrus bellowed as the fire-breather began to rise. Titanus slammed a heavy paw into the ground, pushing himself up off the mountains sending another spire of molten rock into the air. High overhead, the city dragons could feel the intense heat from the spout and back-winged away.

Once Titanus was on his stomach, he bared his teeth and let loose another roar. "Attack!" Voltrus shouted. The deep voices of the dragons echoed throughout the air as another wave of breath attacks bombarded the monster. Titanus turned a hate-filled eye on his assailants and whirled on them. The dragons of the city scattered as Titanus lunged for them, snatching up several in the process.

"Everyone, evade!" Kia shouted as Titanus began to take in another breath. A cloud of blue fire blew from his mouth, incinerating another group of dragons, unlucky enough to be in the way. Kia cried out in horror as their ashes fell began to blow away in the wind. Their remains suddenly changed direction as Titanus began inhaling them as well as the fire from the molten geyser.

The dragons watched as Titanus seemed to glow in response to the new energy added to his already tremendous amount of power. Blue tufts of fire spurted from his nostrils, sending another hot gust through the air.

Another fireball hit Titanus as Volcanus and Tectonica rushed in to intercept him. Titanus snarled and snapped at his grandfather, missing him as he dove below his jaw line. Tectonica banked high towards the sky before shrouding herself in green, earthy energy. The dragoness curled into a ball before dropping down on top of Titanus's head, briefly getting his attention away from Volcanus and the others. Titanus, annoyed by the distraction, turned his head to the sky and fired a blast of fire. Tectonica continued to cover herself in protective energy, but Titanus's breath was proving to be too hot for her to handle. At the last possible second, she broke away from the stream of fire, her hide smoking from the intense heat. Titanus made another snap for her. Just as his jaws were about to close around the earth dragoness, the sentries launched another volley, knocking the deadly teeth away from Tectonica. Now thoroughly irritated, Titanus whirled on them, breathing a blast of white-hot flames at the guards. The armored dragons banked out of the way, but not without receiving serious burns. Nitrus watched as the wounded dragons struggled to stay airborne, fighting against the pain from their second degree burns.

Volcanus roared and charged Titanus, latching onto his face and breathing a wave of fire into a concentrated area on his sensitive facial scales. Titanus snarled in pain, shaking his head to throw off his grandfather. He raised a paw to swat the fire dragon away, but Volcanus evaded the swipe. Titanus turned on him, snapping down hard, his muscle heavy jaws clapping together and sending a gust of hot air to throw Volcanus off balance.

As Volcanus fought to remain airborne, Titanus inhaled, readying another fire ball. Right as he was about to unleash his breath, Kia dropped in front of Volcanus, and began to inhale while simultaneously exhaling again. Titanus let loose another wave of fire, engulfing the two dragons. Nitrus hollered for his fellow guardian, his voice being drowned out by the roaring flames. All at once, the flames began to warp and disperse as Kia continued to manipulate the air in order to snuff out the flames.

Seeing this caused Titanus to narrow his eyes at her and put more power into his breath attack. Kia immediately noticed and began to panic. She could not hold this position more than a few more seconds. Little by little her breathing began to slow, allowing the flames to overwhelm her.

"Out of the way!" Volcanus ordered, shoving her aside, breaking her concentration. The air guardian screamed as the flames threatened to burn her alive. Several tongues of fire leaped out at her, burning the thin, transparent membrane between her wing digits. Nitrus dove towards her as she fell out of the sky. Volcanus breathed another burst of flames, deflecting the main force of his grandson's attack. Nitrus caught the air dragoness just as she was about to hit the ground, and the two tumbled head over heels, knocking up large chunks of dirt and rock along the burning earth.

"Nitrus!" Amp shouted from beside Cytros. Until now he had done a fairly good job of staying close to the captain and avoiding any sort of direct hit from the fire-breathing monster.

The ice guardian picked himself up off the ground and grunted in pain. One of his wings was broken and hanging limp at his side, clearly dislocated. Kia on the other hand was in far worse shape. She too had a broken wing, but her bone now stuck out through the skin, allowing her to bleed openly. Her scales in various places had been melted together, and the wing membrane was badly burned. The smell itself was enough to cause Nitrus's nose to crinkle in disgust.

"I… I tried." The dragoness wheezed, feeling the exhaustion overwhelming her.

"Rest now. You've done your part. Thank you," Nitrus whispered back, draping his good wing over her head to shield her view from the raging fight overhead.

"Captain!" Volcanus hollered, catching Cytros's attention. "You and the others retreat for now. I will handle this personally!"

"That's what I'm afraid of," Cytros growled. "No deal Volcanus! We aren't going anywhere!"

"It is not your destiny to die here Captain!" Volcanus snarled. "It is my destiny to bring an end to this, once and for all."

"Oh, so suddenly you decide that we're worth helping after all?" Amp shouted angrily. Titanus bellowed and lunged for them again.

"It has been my destiny from the beginning!" Volcanus answered after striking his grandson with another fireball. "Master Oracle has shown me time and again, that I am to destroy my own! It has been my destiny from the beginning!" Amp recoiled as if he had been slapped across the face. The fire-breather could not have been more serious about anything before in his life. Volcanus turned fiery-orange eyes on his grandson and glared. "Ever since you were born I have dreaded this day. But if dragons are to unite as one, then there is no place for our kind amongst them."

"Volcanus you can't be serious!" Cytros protested. "Think about it! It's destiny you're talking about! Not your fate! You can choose your own path!" Another massive paw rushed past them, knocking them off balance for a few moments.

"Destiny has more than one path, Captain. I have chosen my path. I tried to use that feral as a way of getting out of this. But instead it only led me straight to what I had always feared I must do." He fired another fireball at his kin's snout, bringing stinging tears to his eyes. Volcanus turned to glance over his shoulder at Cytros. "Now you must leave!" I will bring an end to this, for it is what I am destined to do!"

Cytros did not have time to pause, for Titanus was readying himself to strike again. "Come Ampus!" He ordered.

"What? We're leaving them?" Amp gasped.

"Yes, now move it!" The fire guard snapped, silencing the young dragon. "Everyone retreat!" Cytros did not need to repeat himself. Every remaining dragon gathered up their wounded comrades and followed after Cytros and Amp as the fled the battleground.

"It is time, grandson," Volcanus growled, staring the titan in the face. "Tectonica, you may wish to leave as well."

"I am not going anywhere," She snorted. "I have stayed by your side this entire time and I will die with you if I so please."

Volcanus was surprised by her determined words, but respectfully nodded.

Titanus opened his mouth and the two dragons launched their breath attacks into the back of his throat. Titanus nearly choked on his own flames as another of Tectonica's earth bullets struck his tonsils. Volcanus blew another chunk out of the roof of his mouth with another fireball before diving out of the way of another paw. The old dragon was beginning to slow down. Never had he been forced to exert this much energy at once.

Tectonica rushed in and latched onto Titanus's face. He let out an irritated growl when the earth dragoness struck him in the eye with her clubbed tail. Titanus shook his head as flames spewed wildly from his gaping maw. Volcanus inhaled as deeply as he could, absorbing the flames within his own body. The spectating dragons all watched in astonishment as the former guardian began to glow like the fires that burned across the land.

"Hold him!" Volcanus bellowed. "Make him breathe more!" Tectonica dove towards the ground, becoming engulfed by earthy energy. She plunged into the ground with a loud crack, sending a plume of molten rock up behind her. A moment later she shot up out of the ground again on the opposite side of Titanus, another spire of fire and lava trailing behind her. She fired another earth missile into Titanus's face and dove back down as his jaws snapped just behind her. Again she punched another hole in the earth, causing more lava to rise up from the ground.

Down on the ground, Nitrus struggled to gather Kia up onto his back as the liquid rock rushed towards them. Cytros and Voltrus both came in for a landing, Cytros supporting the ice guardian while Voltrus gently hefted the air dragoness onto his back.

"Watch out!" Nitrus shouted, breathing a concentrated burst of ice to slow down the river of lava streaming towards them. A loud hiss and a cloud of blistering hot steam rose up from the ground as the two sentries fought to get airborne.

Kia lifted her head to watch as the lava consumed the landscape. It was then her eyes fell upon two dragons lying on the ground. "Stop!" She shouted suddenly, squirming on Voltrus's back. "We have two still down there!"

The lightning guard glanced down and made a silent curse to himself. The sentry he had sent to guard Certo and Crona lay dead in a dried puddle of his own blood while Certo lay bleeding a few yards away from him. "Azurite!" Voltrus shouted.

"He's gone sir!" Another ice dragon shouted. A severe burn on his right forelimb caused him to tuck his arm to his chest.

"Then Arcane, I need you to retrieve Certo and Iscerus! Now go!"

"Yes sir!" The male dove without so much as a salute. In a matter of seconds, he was on the ground. It took a moment to forcibly lift the dead sentry in all his armor off the ground, but once he had the body situated he began to beat his wings to get the air underneath him.

"Hurry!" Kia shouted desperately as the lava drew closer. Arcane managed to get off the ground enough to hover and make a grab for Certo with his hind legs. He missed and dropped the young dragon to the ground. He made one more attempt as the lava closed in on him, this time snatching Certo up with his tail and hurling him into the air. Arcane then beat his wings and grabbed the black dragon in his jaws as he took off into the air. "Thank goodness." Kia breathed a sigh of relief as she watched the guard climb back into the sky to join the formation. Acrane's tail tip had been burned to a crisp when he made a dive for Certo, and now had to refrain from crushing the young male between his teeth as the pain rushed up his spine.

Behind them, Tectonica managed to punch a considerable amount of holes in the ground, but constantly exposing herself to molten rock was beginning to take its toll on her. Her once green scales were now charred black with ash and second-degree burns. The dragoness's wings were badly burned, and barely allowing her to stay aloft anymore. Her lungs were filled with smoke and ash, making it harder for her to get her wind back and her lack of oxygen was causing her vision to blur.

Titanus took advantage of her weakness and lunged for her again. This time Tectonica was too slow to react. She beat her wings to get away but Titanus's jaws clamped down on her lower torso, crushing her bones between his gigantic teeth. A scream of pain and terror filled the air as Titanus began to shake her, hoping to tear her apart.

A blue fireball exploded against Titanus's muzzle once more and his grip on her loosened. Tectonica fell from his jaws, blood spilling from her lower body and open mouth. Volcanus watched helplessly as she stared out at him, blankly. Time seemed to slow down as she plummeted towards the lava surrounding Titanus's feet.

"I… have failed you," Tectonica whispered in her mind. Her body began to radiate with energy one more. She had one last chance to aid the fire guardian, and she would take it.

Volcanus watched as Tectonica's body plunged into the lava, a stunned expression on his face. The other dragons all stared in silent wide-eyed shock as they steadily backed away from the battleground. Titanus turned his fiery glare on his grandfather whose body was steaming from all the fire he had absorbed into his body.

All of a sudden the earth shook. A brilliant green light burst from beneath the lava and Titanus felt the ground beneath his feet give way. The blue dragon plunged into the molten earth with a startled cry. The lava splashed high into the air and Volcanus seized the opportunity Tectonica's final effort had presented him with. The blue fire-breather beat his wings, sending waves of fiery energy into the lava. The molten rock began to spiral about, catching TItanus in what looked like a burning hot whirlpool. The lava spun higher into the air, as the giant thrashed about, trying to get free from the trap. He flapped his wings, but he was so heavy that they were of no use to him.

The lava was beginning to cool the higher it went. The dragons gasped as they watched the volcanic rock solidify, slowly covering the beastly titan, leaving only his furious cry to echo from the spout of the volcanic mountain.

"Is it over?" Voltrus asked, astonished at what he had just witnessed.

Before anyone could answer, a muffled roar came from inside the mountain. The peak began white hot before being blown off in a spout of blue flames.

"Everyone move!" Cytros ordered as more flaming rock began to rain across the countryside.

Volcanus hovered over the open mouth of the mountain, watching as his infuriated grandson blew spouts of flame into the air as he struggled to free himself from his prison. He took in a deep breath as he prepared for his final assault. "Destiny be damned," He muttered. "So much was unforetold." He looked up at the black clouds overhead. "Master Oracle never mentioned a white dragoness in his prophecies." The blue fire-breather took in one final breath and dove towards the opening in the hollow mountain. Titanus bellowed and spewed another wave of fire only to have his grandfather absorb the flames once more. The fire guardian cringed as his energy reached its limit.

Before his grandson could prepare another breath attack, Volcanus shot down into his throat. Inside it was hot and muggy, and almost no air could be inhaled. Volcanus choked on the smoke and stench that filled his own lungs. "Destiny be damned." He repeated as he closed his eyes and curled into a fetal pose. He could hear another rush of air being drawn in and the heat from deep inside his grandson's chest rising up to meet him. Volcanus opened his eyes to see the blue glow of flames coming up to consume him for good.

With one final roar, the fire guardian exploded with all the remaining energy he had left in a single massive fury blast. The light shot straight into the sky and Titanus felt the extreme pressure build up inside his chest. He tried to cry out in pain but the two forces inside him combusted sending a fiery streak of flames bursting from the back of his throat in through the clouds of ash overhead. The sky became ablaze with light and a moment later another deafening explosion blew apart the mountaintop before more molten lava shot into the air.

"Dear ancestors," Cytros gasped as he watched the lava continue spraying into the clouds. The city guard had to dodge and weave in and out of the falling globs of liquid. Everything was silent except for the roar of the volcano.

"I think Volcanus actually did it," Kia murmured in shock at the sight before her.

"But at such a price," Nitrus thought to himself. He was glad to have been able to bring down the menace that was Titanus, but the events of that day would forever leave a bitter stain in his memory.


	35. Chapter 35

Throbbing. That was all Certo felt. Throbbing in his head, his shoulder, his chest. "How could I let this happen?" He scolded himself. "I promised I promised I would protect her."

_Everything spun as Certo opened his eyes. Overhead was a sky full of stars. The moons hid beyond the horizon as if scared to show themselves. The lingering smoke in the sky cast a fiery glow across the land. _

_ The black dragon groaned in pain as he blinked himself awake. Amp, who had been sitting beside him turned when he heard the noise. The young dragon looked nervous when he say the fierce eyes of the older male stare up at him. _

_ "What… what happened?" Certo's eyes rolled about in their sockets as he looked around the campground. The dragons had moved far away from the battle ground, at least a half-days flight. All around, he could hear the soft moans and agonized cried of wounded sentries. Nearby, a pair of ice dragons tended to a burn on an earth dragon who was instinctively fighting against them. The earth dragon lashed the ground with his heavy tail, shaking the earth with each thump. _

_ Certo struggled to lift his head and groaned at the sudden pounding he received from doing so. _

_ "Easy now." Amp warned. "You're not in the best of shape to be moving much."_

_ Certo lifted a paw, only to find that a cast of ice frozen over his right shoulder. His limb felt numb, which was probably for the best. He could see a deep cut beneath the ice which now kept it from bleeding out. The memory of receiving the injury did not come to him and he turned his gaze to Amp who looked even more forlorn the longer he stared at it. _

_ "How long have I been unconscious? All I remember was…seeing Volcanus and then, Tectonica… The ground rushing up at me and.. nothing."_

_ Amp stared silently for another minute. "You've been out for about a day Certo. We've…lost a lot since."_

_ Certo's heart sank as he looked around the campground. Most of the wounded were laying down trying to rest in spite of their various injuries. The smell of blood and burned flesh weighed heavily in the air. _

_ As Certo continued to scan the campground, Amp found himself growing more and more restless. His spines stood on end and buzzed with anticipation. When he could not take the pressure any longer he cleared his throat. "Certo… I don't know how to tell you this…Crona…" Certo turned to stare him straight in the eyes, striking fear onto the younger dragon's heart. "She's gone Certo. I don't know how else to put it."_

_ The black dragon's eyes grew wide and his mouth fell open. His heart skipped a couple beats before pounding against his chest wall. "Sh-she's gone? Like dead gone?" His mouth suddenly felt dry and his throat muscles tightened making it harder for him to breathe. _

_ "I… we don't know." Amp shook his head. "Right now she's just missing. No one has seen her anywhere. We don't think she's dead, but it may be a possibility."_

_ "No…no she… she has to be somewhere. She couldn't have just disappeared without saying where she was going. Has anyone talked to her since the…"_

_ "No one has seen her since the battle."_

_ "Where's Nitrus? He must know something!"_

_ "He's with Cytros. They're busy…"_

_ "Amp, I need you to take me too them. Right now!" Certo barked, grabbing the attention of a couple passing guards. _

_ "Certo, I…" A sudden growl from Certo caused the guardian to step back hesitantly. "Alright, but I'm warning you, it's not going to be pleasant."_

_ "I don't care about pleasant! I just want information!" Certo snapped._

_ "Alright, I'm just warning you is all." Amp explained, trying to calm him down. He had not seen his friend this agitated in a long time and it reminded him of how truly frightening the black dragon could be._

_ Amp led his through the camp, giving Certo a good look at all the wounded sentries that lay about the burned field. The ground was already uncomfortable to sleep on but with their wounds and heavy armor it must have been nearly unbearable. The farther away Amp led Certo from the camp, the more the smell of death filled their nostrils. Certo's scales rattled in recognition of the scent. The few bodies that had been recovered, lay in shallow holes, dug out by the earth dragons lucky enough to have survived the battle. The sentries still worked to bury their fallen; barely acknowledging the young males, if only to tear their attention away, for a second from the fact that they were putting their own to rest. _

_ At the edge of the burial grounds, Nitrus sat alongside Cytros. Both dragons seemed to be discussing something in private, judging by their hushed tones. Certo could have cared less._

_ "Nitrus!" He barked, rather loudly, demanding the attention of the ice dragon. _

_ The guardian did not need to ask why he was there. He had been anticipating this since there had been no signs of Crona after the battle._

_ "You should be resting right now young dragon." He muttered darkly, eyeing the icy cast over the the black dragon's shoulder._

_ "I don't need rest right now." Certo replied, a chilled tone in his voice. "I need to find Crona. Do you have any idea where she might have gone or what happened to her?"_

_ "Unfortunately not." Nitrus shook his head. "The last we saw of her was just after Volcanus showed up. After that, is ye to be discovered."_

_ "I'm assuming you were unconscious the whole time." Cytros stated, taking a step forward, giving nitrus a nodded to indicate that he had the situation under control. "Voltrus sent one of his soldiers to guard you and Crona, but when we returned, he was dead."_

_ "Dead?" Certo nearly squeaked like a startled hatchling. _

_ "His wounds were not inflicted by Titanus, I can assure you that. His wounds came from someone, or something else." _

_ Certo felt a chill run down his spine and he ruffled his wings in response. He had a feeling deep in his stomach that he knew the source of the sentry's death. "Where is the body now?" He asked after a tense silence. _

_ "It is being buried as we speak." Cytros reported. "I would request you let those who have fallen, rest in peace though." The sudden hostility in the fire guard's voice made Certo feel guilty for attempting to make such a request. He hung his head, staring at his feet in silent thought as the full force of the situation began to weigh itself upon his shoulders. _

_ As he was thinking, soft footsteps slowly pulled his gaze back up. Certo's spines quivered irritably when he saw Voltrus, Cryus and Mateo approaching them. The water guardian glowered at the black dragon while Mateo only looked away in shame._

_ "Everyone has been put to rest." Voltrus reported glumly. _

_ "Anything else beyond that?" Cytros asked, giving a quick glance at Certo. _

_ Voltrus's muzzle scrunched into a frown. "There was… something." He glanced down at Mateo who approached the fire guard and ice guardian before pulling a shard out of his crudely constructed breast plate. Cytros inspected it and passed it to Nitrus who eyed it curiously between his claws. _

_ "Certo?" He lowered the fragment so the black dragon could peer at it in the moonlight. Certo studied the object for a long time, before looking up at the guardian in confusion. "It's a bone fragment." Nitrus stated coldly. _

_ "It was lodged in Iscerus's throat." Voltrus reported. "It's not his."_

_ The guardians growled to themselves. Only the apes used the bones of other creatures to form their crude weapons to mangle others. _

_ "So what now?" Certo muttered, his heart sinking deeper into his stomach._

_ "What do you mean, what now?" Nitrus asked in almost a mocking tone, as if he had just asked a stupid question. _

_ "We have to find Crona." Certo replied, his spines beginning to stand erect in instinctive defense. _

_ "I'm sorry Certo, but we can't afford to." Cytros sighed, shaking his head, knowing that his words would harm the young dragon more than any wound. _

_ "What do you mean you can't afford to?" Certo demanded, his body temperature rising in anger. "We have to find her right now!"_

_ "Look around you Certo." Nitrus growled. "We don't have the dragon power to organize any sort of search party. We have wounded and dying who may not even make it back home. Does that not matter to you?"_

_ "It does!" Certo snapped. "But you don't understand the situation! Crona has to be found! If the apes have her then they'll use her and then…" his voice trailed off as he looked around at the snoozing dragons. "Everything we've lost and fought for… it will have all been for nothing."_

_ "I wish we could spare the effort." Nitrus sighed, his exhaustion beginning to get the better of him. "But we ca not afford to lose our entire guard. Not on just one dragoness. I'm sorry, but the situation does not balance out in our favor right now."_

_ Certo sighed, broken-hearted at being unable to convince the most powerful and influential dragons on his side to support him. "Then you go on ahead." He muttered darkly. "I'll look for her myself."_

_ "You're in no shape to be searching for anyone right now, Certo!" Amp snapped, before his father in-law could say the same thing. "In your physical and mental state, you're doing more harm than good to your cause."_

_ "I'm fine Amp!" Certo shot back, turning his fierce crimson eye on him. "I have to keep a level head because Crona's life depends on it."_

_ "Oh, so now her life matters to you?" Every head turned to a disgusted looking Cryus. "If you care about her so much then why is she missing?" Certo glared at the water guardian and curled his lips._

_ "Cryus that is enough." Nitrus scolded._

_ "But this proves my point." Cryus continued, ignoring his superior. "You bring trouble, bad luck and misfortune to everyone around you. Crona stood by you despite my pleas and look what happened."_

_ "Are you saying this was Certo's fault?" Amp snarled. "Because I'll have you know, he has a stronger bond with Crona than you ever will."_

_ "Stay out of this Amp! This is between me and the darkness here!"_

_ "All of you! Be quiet right now!" Cytros growled. "This petty squabbling won't help the situation any."_

_ "You're right." Cryus muttered, leering at Certo. "Not while we have this failure in our presence. You're a pathetic, inferior excuse of a friend Certo."_

_ That was the last straw. Certo lunged for Cryus, claws outstretched and body glowing with karma. The blue dragon was expecting the attack but not the ferocity. The black dragon slammed into his opponent. The two tumbled down the hill, rolling over and over, biting, scratching and snarling in each other's faces. _

_ At the bottom of the hill, Certo pinned Cryus and arched his tail blade high, like a scorpion preparing to use its lethal weapon. "I have had enough of you and your kind!" Certo hissed, his voice warping with the negative energy around him. "You say I'm a stain on existence but it's you who taint our world!"_

_ "That is far enough, both of you!" Claws grabbed Certo by the tail and yanked him back away from the water dragon. Cytros hurled Certo onto the hard ground, briefly stunning him, causing his control over karma to fade. "We are not supposed to be fighting each other! And you, Certo, should be setting the example!"_

_ "If Cryus…"_

_ "Silence!" Cytros gnashed his teeth in the young male's face. "Not another word! You are both way out of line right now! So I want you two to separate until further notice! Do I make myself clear?"_

_ Certo glared back at the fire breather, not with hate, but discouragement. Discouraged at the fact that he was once again on his own without the support of anyone else to stand by him._

_ The black dragon gave an aggravated huff. With a curt turn and flick of his tail, he sent a gust across the campsite and walked away, leaving the council members in silence. _

_ "You know he's going to go on his own." Nitrus said, glancing at the fire dragon out of the corner of his eye. _

_ "I know. But even if we tried to stop him, he would just find another way."_

_ "So you're just going to let him go?" Mateo gasped, shocked that they were not planning on lending their support to the black dragon's cause. _

_ "I have made the situation clear and Certo knows what is at stake." Cytros replied without turning his head. "It may be because he has feelings for her or something more. But it seems that he cannot bring himself to live on without Crona."_

_ "So you're saying she might be out there still?" The young ice dragon looked back at certo as he trudged away. _

_ "I am not saying that in any way shape or form. But I am saying that it is a very possible reality that he must face eventually."_

_ "Then i'm going to help him." Amp snorted, his quills standing on end and buzzing with electricity. _

_ "No Ampus!" Nitrus barked, stopping the young dragon in his tracks. "You are a guardian, not a sentry. We need you here right now for support."_

_ "Bur Nitrus, we can't let…"_

_ "This is not open for discussion Ampus." The ice dragon growled, narrowing his eyes at his son in-law. "You have your own duties as a guardian and you must abide by them."_

The aches in Certo's body were all that told him he was alive. Alive and awake and not in another of his terrible nightmares. Right now he wished he were in a nightmare; then he could wake up and find his best friend beside him. Another sigh grazed the landscape as he spread his wings. The air felt unusually chilly against his hide.

"You're going the wrong way." Certo turned to see the Mateo walking towards him, and he curled his lip on instinct. Mateo stopped several yards away. "I can help you Certo. I know where how to get to the ape's territory."

"Can you?" Certo growled, narrowing his eyes at the ice dragon. Mateo was probably one of the last dragons he would have preferred to be relying on for assistance in this situation.

"I can," he nodded. "But you have to answer me one thing."

Certo's wings ruffled in irritation. "And what is that?"

"Do you care about Crona that much that you would risk your own life just to find her? She might be dead for all you know."

"She isn't dead!" Certo hissed, the savage sound carrying with the wind. "And I wouldn't be lying when i said that if we don't find her, our entire future as a species will be at stake."

Mateo felt a rock settle deep inside his stomach. "What do you mean?"

"That's a secret between her and me." Certo snorted, turning away from the pale blue dragon. After a moment he glanced back over his left shoulder to see Mateo hanging his head slightly in disappointment. "But I'm willing to trust you if you will trust me on that topic. For her sake."

This seemed to lift Mateo's spirits slightly and he bobbed his head in understanding. "Then follow me." His armor clattered loudly as he sprang into the air, trying to get as much wind beneath his wings. Certo leaped after him as Mateo headed off in a southeastern direction.

Crona's vision grew faded as she fell in and out of consciousness. She could make faint glimpses of the ground beneath the tree branches that flew by beneath her. Each time she thought she was coming around, she would smell something strong, that resembled a cross between cinnamon and wet silage. Each time her nostrils picked up the scent she would almost immediately fall back asleep. Her mind was blank and darkness seemed to cloud itself around her.

When Crona was finally able to stir in her sleep, she could hear the sounds of muffled voices and footsteps all around her. After slipping in and out of sleep for a few more hours, she was finally able to open her eyes. The world was blurry and distorted. It took a few minutes for her to focus herself enough to make out her surroundings. All around were large sticks, carved into spears, others with sharpened bones bound to them. Various animal skulls from smaller prey decorated the walls around her. Stacks of herbs, smaller sticks, and various other plants had been pushed aside leaving a wide open space in the middle of the room where she lay. The hut was not made of stone like the dragon pavilions but of wood. It almost seemed cozy.

"Sleep well?" A gentle voice whispered in her ear.

A shiver ran up Crona's spine as the words tickled her ear drums. She cooed softly and shrugged away from the voice. "Almost too well." She opened her jaws wide, giving a loud yawn; she was still feeling rather weak even after having slept so long. She rolled over slightly, expecting to look into the blue and crimson eyes of Certo.

"Good to hear." Neros smiled wickedly when her stare locked with his. "Get her."

Crona felt a heavy hand clasp down on her muzzle as she tried to scream. Two large apes, with recovering burn marks on them, lifted her off the floor and tightened their grip on her. Another muffled cry escaped from between her teeth as she struggled to free herself from their grasp. Her instincts kicked in, freezing time in its place. Again she tried to wrench herself loose before realizing her limbs had been bound previously, holding her forelimbs against her sides and her wings tied together. Neros had thought ahead this time, anticipating for her to try her usual method of escape.

The dragoness pulled her snout from the grasp of the first ape. She bit down hard on one of the hand that was holding her and reached back to try and bite the other. She released time, causing the first ape to squawk in pain, releasing her from his grip. Once partly freed, Crona was able to get the last two inches she needed to snap at the second ape.

"Hold her you fool!" The mandrill hissed at his bleeding partner, struggling to avoid being bitten himself.

"Must I do everything myself?" Neros growled. Crona suddenly felt a heavy blow strike her in the stomach, knocking the wind out of her. She gasped and struggled to regain her lost breath. Three lassos dropped around her neck and tightened, partly cutting off her air supply. Crona choked as she struggled to twist free from the nooses. A sudden violent pull slammed her against the wall, stunning her further. The apes that had grabbed her before retook their hold on her, lifting her off the floor of the hut and restraining her firmly.

"She seams to recover a lot quicker form the herbs than most creatures." An ape growled, tightening his grip on the rope.

"Indeed." Neros nodded, taking a slow, deliberate step towards the dragoness. Crona stiffened and she struggled to get away. "Don't bother Crona. You're in ape territory now. Even if you manage to get loose, you have thousands of apes who will readily track you down and drag you back here. So you may want to just save your energy for me."

"Oh, believe me, I'll give you all the energy you want." Crona hissed, baring her teeth. She began to concentrate on the blue mist. Its presence was very faint, but it was better than nothing.

"Good to know." Neros smirked as he brought his nose close to hers. "Now how about we talk about what you're going to do for me."

"I'm not doing anything for you!" Crona snapped at him, nipping his snout in the process before being yanked back. "There is no force on earth that will get me to aid you in any way, shape or form!"

Neros scrunched his nose up at the stinging left by her teeth but made no attempt to make her pay for the gesture. "I tell you what Crona. Here's the way I see it. You can either help me now and I can spare the lives of your friends for the time being. Or you can help me after the apes annihilate that entire city of yours. It's up to you whether or not you want more casualties on your head."

"You don't have what it takes." Crona leered at him, her tail flicking angrily on the floor.

"Oh come on now. You should know better than that." Neros snickered. "If it means being able to rid the world of every impure dragon, then I'll go the extra mile to do so." The albino dragon began pacing about the room in the manner that frightened Crona the most. "As of right now I have a thousand apes ready to spring an attack on your fellow dragons. After that fight with that blundering blue behemoth, I'm sure they're all exhausted and severely weakened. Easy pickings for any ape."

"What did you do to Titanus, Neros?" Crona grunted against her restraints. "I know you had to have had some part in what happened to him."

A grin spread across the male dragon's face. "You'll be surprised to know that I had nothing to do with him."

"Your words carry about as much weight as the air you breath. now tell me what you did!"

"I'm telling the truth." Neros snorted, sending a gust of dirt into the dragoness's face. "He came to me asking to team up and destroy my brother. But because he wanted you for… himself, I rejected his proposal."

"So why did you let him live? If you're so bent on killing us all, then why didn't you just rid yourself of Titanus right then and there?"

"Simple. Each of you has brought me something I could use. You provided me a way to easily achieve my ultimate goal. That little petty female provided me a way to turn my brother against himself. And the one you call Titanus was my key to capturing you myself."

"You're sick!" Crona spat. "You're sick and twisted! I hate you! A lot of dragons died because of you!"

"And more will come unless you agree to help me."

"Not in your life!"

"I can spare you myself. I won't let any harm come to you." Neros continued in a calm voice which only seemed to aggravate the dragoness further.

"All I'm hearing is words from you Neros. So you can spare me more of your lies. If I don't get to you, Certo certainly will, and we both know how that is going to turn out!"

Neros stopped his pacing and fixed his prisoner with his ruby eyes. "Well then I don't have anything to worry about. I did away with my twin after I had you in my possession."

"You lie!" Crona shouted. She would not allow herself to believe any of the words that came from this traitor's mouth. But deep down she felt a stab of pain in her heart and a knot in her stomach.

"Like I've been saying Crona. I'm not lying." Nero's squinted at her with a stern frown upon his muzzle. He turned his side to her and lifted his tail blade. The tip was dark with dried blood from a few days before. "It was too easy to cut out his heart when he was out like a little hatchling. It reminds me of when our little sister died in her sleep."

Crona scowled at him. "You're not fooling me that easily. That could be anything else besides blood."

Neros's expression turned bitter. "Open her mouth!" Before Crona could respond, the apes restraining her grabbed her muzzle, forcing her jaws open. The white dragoness screamed as she tried to fight their prying fingers. She could taste the dirt and filth on her tongue now and it made her cringe even more. If they continued pulling they would eventually break her jaws completely.

The blue mist that Crona had been concentrating on before was still gathering about the hut but nowhere near as much as she needed. "Let me go!" She screamed in her head.

Just then she felt a cold hard blade against her tongue. Neros held it there causing Crona to freeze, in fear of getting cut with the deadly weapon. The albino dragon snickered and wiped the dried blood off his blade and onto her tongue. The apes released her jaws and pinned her to the floor. Crona gagged, coughed and spat, trying to get the horrid taste out of her mouth; but the taste of mercury refused to leave her.

"Tell me now that you don't recognize the scent of Certo's blood." Neros scoffed. "You can't honestly deny that you know his scent." Crona continued to spit the dried blood out. "Well?"

She felt sick inside, tainted. Yet with all the sputtering and choking, her hyper-sensitive jacobs-gland forced her to recognize the scent of the blood; Certo. Her fit came to an abrupt halt once her mind was able to register the smell. Her mouth hung open in dismay and her eyes lifted to Neros.

"You… you didn't." She murmured.

"You tell me Crona." Neros snarled. "Surely you've spent enough time around my brother to know his scent by now."

Crona's eyes were wide like water dishes. "You… killed him…He didn't even do anything to you." Her eyes were beginning to grow wet with tears, and the blue mist faded away. "He didn't even have a chance to defend himself."

"All the more reason to deal away with him so you have nothing left to hope for." Neros explained casually. "If her were still around, you'd remain bent on the possibility of him coming to your rescue, like we both know he would. So I thought it might be best to nip that possibility in the tail right away." He gave a slight snicker and Crona felt her heart dissolve inside her chest. She hung her head, staring blankly at the wooden floor. Was he lying? He had to be. There's no way Certo could be dead. But everything Neros had described had been because he was there. Nothing had been stopping him from murdering his brother while he was unconscious. It had been the perfect opportunity.

Crona's tongue hung out the side of her mouth. The taste of blood sickened her, but nowhere near as much as the fact it had been Certo's. Her eyes lifted to look at the albino black dragon. There was no way she could hide from him the truth that she recognized the scent of her closest companion. This dragon could kill his own family in cold blood without a second thought or regret. Crona could not seem to grasp how someone could be so cold and heartless. It made her furious; even more so than when she had discovered the news of the black dragoness doing the Dark Master's bidding. It was because of this dragon here that so many would suffer for a thousand years. The reason for her mother and her childhood friend's demise was standing within mere feet of her.

"So what will it be Crona?" Neros narrowed his eyes at her, trying to sense her intestines. "Do I have to give you a demonstration of what will happen if you don't do as i tell you? Or will you just be a good girl and aid me willingly so no one else has to get hurt? At least not in this time."

Crona stared silently at him with nothing but emptiness behind her eyes. Neros frowned and was about to ask again when the dragoness spoke. "No. It… It's… It ends with you."

Before Neros could speak a tremor rippled through Crona's body, casting a brilliant white aura about the hut. The light blinded the apes, causing them to loosen their grip on their ropes and shilled their eyes from the stinging light. Neros stepped back in fear as Crona bent her head forward, lowering herself towards the floor. The blue mist suddenly appeared in her mind's eye, still faint but she would not be so forgiving about using its power.

A mortified shriek burst from Crona's throat as she thrust her head towards the sky, blowing the roof off and sending bodies flying in all directions. The apes hooted and howled as they were flung through the air, slamming into nearby trees, huts and weapons on the ground. Neros's world spun out of control as he was flung , full force through the wall of the hut before it was blown to in nothing but splinters. The pale yellow dragon hit the ground hard, tumbling over rocks, roots and groups of scrambling apes. Neros rolled to a stop and did not move. The piercing scream of the young chronicler stung the eardrums of her captors, causing them to cringe in pain and fear.

The aura billowing in a dense cloud around Crona shot straight into the sky, parting the grey clouds before disappearing. A moment later there was a loud boom as a time portal burst into existence. Thick plumes of white, smoke-like clouds surrounded the warped field and lightning crackled across the sky.

Miles away, the two adolescent male dragons huffed along tired from the constant flying over the past two days. Mateo, having been wearing his heavy armor the entire flight, was able to rest only by Certo's support. The black dragon was growing more and more fatigued the farther they flew. The once luscious green forest below had now grown dry and withered. What few leaves that managed to cling to their mangled branches, were just as dry and lifeless.

At last Certo was unable to fly any longer, even using the wind itself to push him along. Mateo gave a startled curse when the black dragon hit the ground at an awkward run, waking him from his slumber and dropping him in the process. The ice dragon was about to snap a tasteless remark until he saw his escort collapse onto the hard dirt.

Mateo's heart skipped a beat as he rushed over to him. "Certo, are you alright? What's wrong? Are you hurt?" The panic in his voice only seemed to irritate the fatigued black dragon.

"Tired." Certo wheezed, trying to catch his breath while attempting to fall asleep. "Need…Rest… Crona…"

"Just rest." Mateo nodded. "I'll keep watch for the time being." He was answered with a light growl as Certo's breathing fell into a shorter rhythm. The young sentry sat down, glancing at the trees around them, their finger-like branches reaching over them as if to trap them on the ground. His violet eyes made quick, weary sweeps of the opening between the tree trunks, looking for any sign of movement. After several hours of nothing he began to grow bored. When he found him hanging his armored head, and beginning to nod off, he snapped back up to attention. Certo was helpless in his current, sleep-deprived state. He would need the support and watchful eye of someone to protect him.

"While we are awake, those who sleep depend on us to keep them safe." Voltrus's voice echoed in the back of his mind. It was the first words of advice the lightning guard had given him once he had accepted his apprenticeship. "You must be strong physically, and mentally. And this armor will allow you to become both. It's a physical and mental reminder of the burden we all carry each night and a reminder of what our purpose is. Cherish it and respect it, always."

Mateo got to his feet and marched around the small clearing where the black dragon had laid to rest. Being here was probably the last place he wanted to be. So why had he gone when he could have easily just pointed Certo in the right direction? Was it his own personal guilt for losing his friends? Was it because he felt that he owed it to the feral for mistreating him for so long? Or was it something more? The blue dragon stopped his pacing and stared at the scars on Certo's body. There had been something in his voice earlier when talking about Crona that made the situation sound far more desperate than what he was letting on. He desperately wished to know the full truth; but Certo had vowed to secrecy and he would have to accept that. Perhaps in time he would understand for himself.

Hours passed by at a slow and tense pace. Mateo was beginning to nod off again as he continued pacing around in circles. He did not realize that his circles around Certo were growing wider and wider until a rumble shook the skies. His attention snapped up to the dull clouds overhead. They had been drifting along slowly, but suddenly rippled violently as a surge of magic energy ripped across the sky. A moment later the wind screamed through the trees, bending the trunks and sending Mateo off his feet.

The ice dragon rolled and tumbled backwards over rocks, fallen branches and logs, clawing frantically to keep himself grounded. Behind him, the sudden gust of wind woke the sleeping black dragon. Certo's head shot straight up and immediately back down as a broken branch narrowly missed hitting him in the head. The ground began to shake and a great fissure split the ground beneath Certo and Mateo's feet, forcing them to quickly take flight. The earth opened up into a gaping, black canyon.

"What in the ancestor's name is going on?" Mateo shouted over the noise of splitting rocks and shattering tree trunks. "I've never even heard of such a catastrophic event happening on such a scale." When Certo did not make any verbal response, Mateo lifted his head to look at the black dragon. Certo squinted as if he were trying to look at a certain scale on the ice dragon's head. "What is it?" Mateo gave the black dragon a frightened and suspicious stare; Certo's eyes did not move. Slowly the armored male turned his head. Off in the distance, a nearly minuscule spec on the horizon, was a faint white light. It shot straight into the stratosphere, casting a ghostly glow over the land. "Sweet mother of all ancestors," Mateo squeaked. "What is that?"

"Crona!" Certo beat his wings hard, propelling himself forward, blowing Mateo back in the process. The ice dragon called out to him but his voice was carried away by the wild windstorm kicked up in the black dragon's wake.

Apes charged and scattered. All were bumping into one another, grabbing their weapons and scrambling to subdue the white dragoness. Lightning cracked overhead, causing the mandrils to jolt in response, turning their attention away from the young chronicler.

Crona walked towards the edge of the platform which was the floor of the now demolished hut. Her eyes were pure white, glowing with empty ferocity. She scanned the ground as the apes began to mass beneath the tree, contemplating how to attack her. Without wasting another minute, she leaped from platform and over their heads with a single beat of her wings. She shrieked as she dove down and the apes scattered, leaving a wide open space for her to land. Before the barbarians could turn their attention on her, the tree she had been in exploded into a spray of wood chunks and splinters. The apes closest were hit the hardest by the flying shrapnel, falling to the ground with wood chunks lodged into their bodies.

The apes closest to Crona snarled angrily and closed the gap in around her. "You dare to challenge me?" The dragoness hissed. She lowered her head, arching her back and began to tremble. The apes paused momentarily until they heard the voice of the white dragoness rip through the air. From out of nowhere, blue wisps of energy appeared as Crona forced the magic to come to her aid. The blue mist crackled under the strain of being dragged along before being absorbed in the the chronicler's body.

Two apes crept forward cautiously, their spears leveled at her, ready to strike her down.

"Don't kill her!" Neros fumed, his voice bringing the apes back from their primal instincts to defeat their foe. Crona hissed hearing his voice and thrust her head to the sky, spreading her wings to their maximum length. A burst of energy erupted from her body engulfing the apes and hurling Neros into another tree. When the albino black dragon lifted his head, the apes had vanished; their bodies turned to dust. Strange gurgling noises emanated from the back of Crona's throat. Overhead, the portal continued to warp as magic spiraled into a confining barrier over the forest; Crona was trapping them so they would not be able to escape.

Fluid began to build up around her eyes. At first Neros thought they were tears forming, but soon realized that this was not the case. Magic began to leak from Crona's eyes, nostrils and clenched jaws, pooling into a puddle at her feet. A shock tore through Neros's body, stunning him briefly. Crona lifted her head as if to stare at him with wicked eyes, and a bolt of fear struck the albino in the heart. He could no longer feel the rush of the wind which he relied on to sense the world around him. He gave a quick exhale, trying to stir up a gust of wind only to have his breath attack absorbed into the white dragoness.

Crona took a step forward, snapping a twig, and Neros gave a squeak. After getting his nerves under control, he lunged forward, blindly. The magic which had been pooling together on the ground, leaped up in front of him, forming an electrical barrier. Neros cried out in pain and was hurled backwards again. The rocks and hard roots hurt as he tumbled backwards over before slamming into a pile of baskets, filled with bones and rocks.

As Neros picked himself up he could hear the footsteps of the chronicler drawing closer to him. With each step, more magic would pour out of Crona's body, increasing the size of the pool. The dragoness had reached her capacity and now the blue mist was spiraling all around her body, trying to get in and out at the same time. Neros had never felt so afraid in his life. Partly because he did not know this dragon as well as he did his own brother, and partly because he had never felt such a terrifying force in this world.

Another bolt of lightning raked across the sky and the albino turned his attention upward. The dragoness had opened a portal, he had sensed that much. He was certain he could outfly her, being an air dragon by nature. With a frantic leap, he was airborne and beating his wings hard to get higher.

Crona turned her head slightly as she watched him head towards her portal. "Where do you think you're going?" Her voice was a whisper but the sound carried towards the black dragon, making his heart pound harder against his chest wall. The white dragoness reared onto her hind legs and reached a paw towards Neros. The albino dragon suddenly felt himself stop moving, frozen in mid-air. Slowly he could feel himself being dragged by an unseen force back towards the ground. Had this dragoness always been able to levitate objects? This ability was wholly unexpected and frightening to the young male.

Once Neros had been brought back down to the ground, Crona forced him to float before her as more blood-thirsty mandrills arrived on the scene. The first several baboons to arrive charged Crona with fists pounding the air and jaws opened wide, revealing their long fangs, ready to sink into her flesh. The instant their feet hit the pool of magic, their hoots and howls were turned to screams. Their followers watched in horror as they stood frozen, time accelerating their aging process. The apes slowly transformed from tall, muscle-heavy warriors, to shriveled old skeletons with minimal flesh hanging from their bones. A moment later, Crona turned her head before twitching her wing tips. The movement triggered her powers to accelerate even more and turned the apes to dust. The spectators squawked in horror and backed away a couple steps.

The blue mist, in which Crona was surrounded by, began to flow once more. It snaked through the air, surrounding the apes, weaving in-between them and through them, holding them where they stood. The savages shrieked in fright as they watched their own bodies age and wither away before their very eyes. Another twitch of her wing tips turned the remaining mandrils to ash. In the distance, Crona could hear the howls and cries of the apes being warned of the sudden immediate danger. They had no idea how much danger was in their midst; but that did not matter to her any more. She had what she wanted right here.

The chronicler narrowed her eyes and flexed her talons. A petrified scream escaped from Neros's maw as he felt his body begin to implode. In a spatter of blood and a puff of smoke, the black dragon became nothing more. Crona smirked evilly as she watched his remains blow away. She opened her talons again and Neros's body suddenly pulled itself back together.

The albino gave a startled gasp, as if he had been holding his breath for hours on end. "Wh-what's going on!" He cried, struggling to free himself from the invisible hand that held him.

"I'm going to make you suffer." Crona murmured, leaning close to the albino's face, until her lips were just inches from his. "You've made your own family suffer and countless innocent dragons suffer. And I'm going to make you die a thousand times for each life that will be snuffed out by the time this is all done." Her maw opened as she leaned closer towards him. "And I'm going to start by taking revenge for your twin."

Nero's eyes widened in shock. "You wouldn't!" He was immediately answered when Crona crushed the bones in his body. A blood-curdling scream rang through the forest. More apes grabbed their weapons and rushed towards the sound. The albino dragon gasped heavily as he felt his bones being rebuilt one by one as Crona held him in place. "You… You're just proof of what I've said all along. Dragons are impure beings!"

"I'm not a dragon!" Crona snarled and flung him into a tree, shattering his spine and spattering the trunk with his blood. The limp body slumped to the ground and did not move.

More apes were showing up now, all staring at the while dragoness with raw hatred in their beady eyes. Like the previous group, it did not take long for them to realize the hazard of making contact with the growing pool of magic on the ground. As the first victims corroded away, Crona walked casually over to Neros and placed a paw on his side. He gave a sudden gasp of air as his vertebrae realigned themselves and his life was restored once again. "That makes three." Crona snickered wickedly, bringing her face closer to his once more.

The sudden sense of movement grabbed the young chronicler's attention. She whirled around and froze all time as the three chained blades hurled her way. Crona glared at the baboons wielding them and raised her paw towards them. The apes lifted off the ground and floated over the pool until they were directly in the path of their own weapons. The dragoness released her hold and the apes howled as their weapons plunged into their flesh. The affects of the magic kicked in, and in a matter of seconds the bodies decayed and vanished in a cloud of ash.

Neros struggled to rise and growled defiantly at her. "You're making a mistake. I will have you cooperate or I'll…" A heavy paw slammed against the side of Neros's head, smashing his skull against the tree, splattering more blood on its bark. When he had been restored the black dragon wretched on the ground, violently.

"Or you'll what Neros? You've already taken everything from me. Because of you I lost by mother, and my two best friends! You have nothing to lose but your life, which already means nothing to you. So I'm going to make you feel physically what I have been feeling emotionally all my life."

"Stop her!" Neros roared. He could smell his subordinates standing there, watching in horror as the white dragoness had her way with him. The apes stood still, not knowing what to do. The pool of magic was growing faster and faster as the energy poured from the chronicler's face. Crona glared over her shoulder and gave a quick sweep of her thick tail. The magic beneath her began to evaporate and surround the apes again. This time the blue mist warped from it's royal blue to deep violet, resembling the aura given off by the power of convexity.

The mortified mandrills yelped and barked as the scrambled to get away from the purple mist surrounding them. Crona sneered at them, relishing in their sudden fear. The mist seemed to rise up in response and take the form of an angry dragoness, who opened her jaws wide in eager blood-thirsty anticipation. Screams filled the air as the baboons felt their bodies wither away. Unlike before, Crona took her sweet time killing them; they would not be going anywhere.

"Now where was I?" She turned back to Neros who was trying to get to his feet. The vertigo was beginning to overwhelm him, making him wobble clumsily. The albino dragon suddenly felt his legs get knocked out from under him, and he hit the ground with a thud. Crona pressed her paw against his throat and began to add pressure. Neros coughed and gagged as he struggled for air. He could not see anything, just feel as his life drained way again. His eyes began to roll back in his head before he let out his last weak gasp before falling limp.

Crona pulled her paw away and allowed fresh air to flow into the back dragon's lungs. Neros's sides heaved suddenly as he felt his life energy return. No sooner had he gasped his third breath than he felt a sudden burning sensation in his neck. He fell into shock as his life blood gushed from the three open slash marks in his throat. The white dragoness smiled at the gurgled noises he made. "Let's hope for your sake I don't lose count."

With another wave of her paw Crona brought Neros back. "How many does that make now?" She sneered.

"You're even more of a monster than me." Neros hissed, but then laughed. "I would say that you're proving my point that dragons are too cruel to live in this world…" he lifted himself off the ground and looked down at her. "But then again, you're not even a real dragon anyways."

The smirk disappeared from Crona's face. She screeched and lashed out with her talons, knocking Neros to the ground. She pounced on him and bit down hard on his neck. Neros hollered as he was lifted off the ground by the smaller dragoness and flung like a rag doll into the puddle of magic. The energy of the world burned against his hide, making his scales sizzle. The albino struggled to get away, dragging himself on his shriveling limbs to get out of the puddled. He gasped for breath, but soon realized that he could no longer take in a full breath of air. His body had suddenly aged to that of an elder dragon, far beyond the years of even Stratus.

Neros tried to rise but his bones were far to weak to hold his weight. The pale yellow dragon cried out in agony as his brittle bones broke under the strain he was putting them under. His head hit the ground, his teeth puncturing his tongue, causing more blood to spill from his mouth.

Crona rolled her shoulders and scowled at the old Neros. Another idea formed in her mind as she crept over to him. Neros felt a paw gently place itself against his neck and he could feel the burning magic seeming from Crona's body. "Don't touch me!" He wheezed.

"Aw, what's the matter Neros? Had enough suffering already? That too bad. You seemed to be the type who enjoyed suffering." Neros wailed helplessly as he felt his bones snap back into place and his body return to its normal age. "You haven't even begun to pay for the harm that you've caused Certo and everyone else. "You're not going to die until I say you do." With that, Crona lashed out again and another piercing shriek filled the air.

The sound of screams carried through the wind as Certo beat his wings as hard as he could. The smell of the wretched apes filled his nostrils,making them burn like fire. High in the sky, dark clouds swirled around what looked like a ring of white energy, surrounding a pool of water. The wind howled and leaves, dirt and twigs blew through the air, stinging his face. Flashes of blue magic sparked along the ground and through the air; one getting so close to Certo as to sting him like an electric shock.

He did not have time to wait around and think about what was going on around him. His friend was in danger; and getting her to safety was all that mattered. Certo folded his wings and dove low over the treetops. He could see apes below, some pointing to him as he shot by overhead; others running deeper into the forest. The wash Certo left in his wake caused an enormous gust of wind to blow through the forest, knocking any nearby apes to the ground and stir up more chaos amongst their ranks. The deeper he flew into the forest the more he could hear the hoots and howls of the mandrills returning from a frightening encounter. The black dragon rushed past them, climbing slightly higher to get a better view of the area. There was no sign of Crona or Neros that he could see.

Certo cursed to himself mentally agonized about not being able to find the young chronicler. A growl rumbled in his throat as he filled his chest cavity with air. When he could not hold any more air he thrust his head forward, his thunderous voice rumbling across the land. Trees splintered and apes clutched at their bleeding ears.

The sound of the black dragon's roar caught Crona off guard. She turned away from the bleeding body that she had been tearing away at with her talons and lifted her head to the sky. "Certo?"

Certo inhaled deeply again before releasing another call for his friend. The sudden rush of air reached the white dragoness and Neros. Crona flicked her tongue out a couple times, tasting the air. She recognized the scent in the wind; but how could she be sure it was truly Certo and not her mind playing tricks on her? The young dragoness growled and the pool of magic began to react to her emotions. Maybe it was Neros trying to pull something off in order to save his own hide.

"You think imitating Certo will make me think he's alive?" She hissed, turning back to her prey. The pool of magic began to bubble and creep towards the albino dragon.

"That wasn't me." Neros grunted. "I couldn't have made that sound and you know it."

"I didn't think you would kill your own brother, but you've proven me wrong before." Crona bent her head down to leer at him, even though she knew he could not see her very well if at all.

Before Neros could speak up a protest, Crona clasped her talons over his left eye, pinning his head to the ground. Neros snarled and reached up to push her paw away but Crona had suddenly become an immovable object. Slowly Neros felt her long talons digging into his head and he let out a scream. The sound of his voice reached Certo who felt a spark of rage deep inside his heart. He beat his wings hard and shot towards the sound of his twin's agonized cries.

It did not take him much longer until he was able to spot them. Down below, was a glowing pool of blue magic which Certo was able to recognize. What he was not able to recognize was the white dragoness bent over his albino twin, her talons digging into the side of his head and slowly dragon them down, tearing deep wounds in his flesh. The pool of magic only seemed to be growing from the energy spilling from her eyes, nostrils and from between her clenched teeth.

"You're going to wear the mark of your brother from now until i'm done with you." Crona whispered maniacally. Her talons dragged over Neros's eye, causing him to thrash about wildly. "Come on Neros! Stop thrashing, you're just making my work look sloppy now!"

"Crona! Stop!"

The white dragoness suddenly froze. Slowly she turned her head to see the scarred black dragon hovering just over the tops of the trees, staring down at her with a look of horror and disgust on his face. "C-Certo?" The black dragon descended and bounded to a landing. "Am I dreaming? Or have I completely lost it?" Crona pondered as he approached her. Certo was about to set foot into the pool of magic but stopped when he glanced to the side, noticing that the remaining apes were keeping their distance from it.

"Crona, what do you think you're doing? This isn't you? This isn't like you at all?"

"I… I…" Crona lifted her paw away from Neros's scarred face. "He… said you were dead…"

"And you believed him?" Certo growled, suddenly finding himself irritated with her as well as his twin.

"But… your blood… I…" It was then the white dragoness noticed the caste of ice covering Certo's wounded shoulder. "I see… he kept you alive in case…"

"In case this happened," Certo looked around at the terrified apes. They held their weapons out at the young dragons but kept their eyes focused on Crona at all times. "What in the world did she do?" He pondered. Never had he even seen the apes this fearful. He brought his eyes up to meet Crona's which were still pure white, magic flowing from her eyes as if they were tears. "You can stop now Crona. I'm alright. You don't have to do any more."

"I… I… " Crona suddenly felt heavy, like she wanted to go near her friend, but something held her back. The snap of a twig behind her reminded her of what she had been doing beforehand. "No!" She shouted whirling around, sending a spray of magical mist into the air. The apes panicked and scattered, tripping over themselves as well as each other. "He has to die! Right here and now!"

Before Neros could react, he felt her talons dig into his face again and her teeth sink into his neck. His scream stung Certo's ears as he charged forward. The black dragon cringed and leaped for Crona. On instinct the dragoness halted time, freezing him in place. Shocked, the dragoness paused before growling angrily and striking him with her tail. Certo flew back and hit the ground, cracking his ice cast over his shoulder.

"What are you doing Certo?" The engorged chronicler turned her eyes on him, as more magic spilled from her body. "Trying to stop me? Why! What has gotten into you?"

"It's not what's gotten into me Crona." He groaned as his wounded shoulder threatened to give way. "It's what has gotten into you! This isn't who you are! You're not the vengeful type! This isn't the who you really are!"

"I am passing judgment on the one who is responsible for all the deaths in the years to come Certo! You know it just as well as I do and you can not deny that he doesn't deserve this fate!"

"I agree that he deserves to die and suffer while he's at it." Certo snarled back, gnashing the air with his teeth. "But who are you to pass judgment on him? You have no right!"

"And you do?"

"I'm his brother! My family is my responsibility, not yours!"

"How can you say that!" Crona fumed. Tears began to flow from her eyes, only to be overwhelmed by the blue mist. "I thought you were dead! Doesn't that mean anything to you?"

"Not when I see you like this." Certo growled, stalking towards her. "This is not the Crona I know. You're not the one I became friends with. The Crona I know would never let her emotions take over her actions." Crona's limbs locked up and the magic seemed to jolt in response. "You're not Crona." Certo bared his teeth as he stood at the edge of the puddle. "You'd never let me act this way no matter how desperate I am for revenge. I won't let you do the same if it means losing you as my friend."

"I thought you'd understand." Crona whimpered, lowering her head. "Of all the creatures in the world I thought you would get it. But I've been wrong about you before Certo." She lifted her head to stare at him again. "If we're not a team then…"

"Don't even say it!" Certo lunged for Crona and swung the flat of his tail blade for her head. In a flash, Crona grabbed his tail in her jaws and slammed him onto the ground. Certo's eyes snapped wide open as the wind rushed out of him. The magic leaking from Crona's body burned against his skin. He opened his mouth to scream but his body was beginning to go numb. A sudden tug wrenched him from the pool of magic and sent him hurling through the air before colliding with several of the apes standing nearby. The baboons squawked in surprise, kicking the black dragon off of them.

"Don't touch him!" Crona shrieked when she saw a spear raise over Certo's head. The ape froze where he was as a violet mist filled his lungs. The mandrill began to cough as he felt his body harden from the inside out. Certo looked up to see a cloud of convexity surrounding them and his blood ran cold. The black dragon's frightened expression turned towards the white dragoness. The mist evaporating around her was becoming convexity energy. Certo crouched low to the ground and backed up a two paces before stopping. A sudden spark caught his eye as the light blue turned to purple. He arched his back and growled as his bad eye began to glow with karma. The blue mist surrounding Crona was nearly blinding, forcing him to squint in order to see. The spark from before appeared again as more convexity surrounded the area. Certo's jaw dropped when he saw a crimson bolt of karma between the power of the chronicler and the power of his brother.

"It's the bridge." He got to his feet and started towards her. Crona watched him for a second, expecting him to stop once he reached the pool of magic. An astonished gasp escaped from her gaping mouth as she watched him step into the blue mist. The black dragon cringed and ground his teeth against the shocking pain rushing up his legs and through his body.

Crona stood in a state of shock as she watched him approach her, step by step. "What are you doing!" She exclaimed. "Stop it! Don't come any closer!" A glob of magic shot up out of the pool, forming into a ball of pure light. Crona swat the ball which struck Certo across the face. Her friend staggered back a couple steps but refused to fall. His feet were beginning to burn, his limbs starting to show signs of withering away like his twin. "Certo stop it!" She screamed when he took another step towards her. Again she summoned another ball of magic from the pool, stronger this time. Once he was hit, Certo was knocked back onto the hard dirt, away from the pool surrounding the young chronicler. Crona stood gasping for breath, as she grew more anxious, waiting to see if he would try and approach her again. When he did not move she felt her heart skip a beat. "Certo?"

The sudden sound of laughter grabbed her attention. A mortified Crona glanced back over her shoulder to see Neros, old and withered, struggling to sit up under the weight of his fragile body. "I love how much you have contributed to my cause here Crona." He coughed hard and the dragoness could have sworn she saw dust expel from his lungs. "Dragons are not fit and worthy to live in this world."

"Y-you're wrong!" She stammered.

"Am I? You're wanting me dead, and you're willing to hurt the one dragon who is willing to throw himself in the most hostile environment without a second thought to protect you, in order to get at me. Is that what you were saying dragon-kind is not about? Because if so you're a failure!"

Crona did not even hear him as she splashed out of the pool and over to her friend lying on the ground. She placed a paw on his wounded shoulder and the ice shattered from her touch. The open gash did not bleed openly after being on ice for so long; at least not yet. An astonished Crona looked over the wound as well as the black dragon's withering limbs. How could he be willing to force himself to endure so much pain just to prove a point? She placed her paws on his body and began reversing the affects of time on his body. His gash sealed up, leaving him with another scar to add to his collection of disfigurements, and his withered legs were restored back to normal. "Wake up." Crona ordered, nudging Certo with her nose. "Wake up damn it!"

"Not until you've returned to the friend I know." Certo wheezed, his eyes still shut.

"Certo, this isn't funny. Get up! Right now!"

"If you're not going to stop what you're doing then there's no point in be being your friend, much less being alive."

"You don't mean that!" Certo managed to crack one eye open and stare at her with his crimson eye. He did not speak but Crona could see he was dead serious. He would rather die than have her exact revenge on his twin for all the suffering he had caused; especially if it meant her losing herself to her rage.

The white dragoness suddenly felt weak. She collapsed onto her hind legs and started to cry. The blue mist was slowly disappearing, fading from everyone's view, as was the concentrated pool of magic. The magic which had been leaking from Crona's body also evaporated from sight and her eyes returned to their normal baby-blue state. Overhead, the portal in the sky faded away, leaving the darkened clouds to cover the landscape.

"Welcome back." Certo sighed thankfully, getting to his feet. He leaned in to nuzzle Crona but she jerked away from him.

"Y-you're not hurt?" She gave him a confused look, as if she could not tell if he was faking his wellness or had planned this from the start. Certo shook his head and Crona felt a knot twist itself into her heart. She began bawling into his chest, uncontrollably. Certo draped his wings around her shoulders, shielding most of her from view. The nearby apes began creeping towards them, half expecting the white dragoness to snap once more at any given second. Certo snarled at them to back off and they hooted in alarm before backing away.

Neros laughed again. "You think this changes anything Certo? I may be down right now but I'm not out."

"I should have let her kill you." Certo growled, lifting his head to see his twin staring in their direction. The old dragon's sides rose and fell with each ragged, forced breath. His skin hung loose against his bones which were clearly visible, clearly showing his aged figure. "But like I said before. She would never let me lose myself just to kill you for revenge. I won't let you turn her into the monster you've become."

Neros wheezed as he forced a laugh. "I'm the monster? That's rich. If I'm a monster then what does that make all of you? You're the ones who made me this way. It was your own selfish ways that have brought forth the being you see before you."

"Say what you want Neros." Certo growled, his voice carrying in the wind. "But make no mistake, I will be the one to kill you. But on my terms."

Crona lifted her head to look up at him. Certo met her gaze and thrust his head towards the albino dragon. "Change him back."

The white dragoness glanced over her shoulder at Neros, then back to Certo . She could see what he wanted. If Neros were to die, it would have to be by natural causes or by his hand; not by the misused power of magic. Crona broke away from Certo as he stood to face the apes who glanced nervously between the two of them. She walked through the puddle which was still growing smaller at a very slow rate. When she was standing over Neros, she paused as if thinking over whether or not to follow through with Certo's request. After a deep sigh she pressed her paw against his scarred left eye. Neros cringed at the pain still being inflicted over his eye and the air hissed in response. Slowly but surely, Crona reversed his aging until he was normal once more.

When she removed her paw, the three talon marks over Neros's eye remained. His eye was somewhat swollen shut from the pain but he continued to glare at the dragoness who looked ashamed for having to aid him against her will. He curled his lip as he began to sit up. Crona turned away and struck him across the face with her tail spade. Neros's head struck the tree and he fell to the ground unconscious.

"Let's get out of here." She whispered, as she crept back to Certo who was giving the apes a stare that even death would have feared.

"Can you fly?" Certo murmured, not taking too much care to be discreet about their private conversation. The apes, sensing that their prey was going to try and make a run for it began to circle them, their dark eyes glistening with anticipation for a fresh kill.

"Well enough." Crona answered. In truth she could barely hold herself up, but she was not about to put that kind of pressure on Certo; not when he had just put himself through his own torment just to get her back. The least she could do was try and help him.

"Then stay behind me, but where I can see you." He growled, backing up in the direction he had flown from. All the while he kept his eyes on the apes who glanced between their master and the two young dragons trying to slip away from them. Certo and Crona moved away cautiously, Crona glancing back over her shoulder every couple seconds to see if any threats lay in their way. When they had vanished from view the apes glanced over at Neros laying down on his side.

"What do we do? Take them? Or leave them?"

"I say we kill them."

"We have strict orders from the master to not kill them you fool!"

"Then why don't we kill him?" The ape pointed to Neros laying on his side. "He has cost us enough of our kind. I say we be rid of him and deal with the dragons in our own way."

Several of the apes gave each other nervous looks. The idea sounded good to them but the fear of the albino dragon out-weighed the temptation of murder.

"We cannot turn on our Master now! The white one was within our grasp! We must fetch her!" The other apes hooted and leaped into the branches of the trees. Their eager calls alerted the rest of the village to take pursuit of the fleeing dragons. In a matter of seconds the forest became alive with the calls of mandrills shrieking and howling in thrill of the chase.

"Come, help me with the Master." The lead ape ordered two others who followed closely as they approached the unconscious dragon.

Certo's angry roar countered the piercing cries of the attacking apes. A loud crack ripped through the forest as a sonic burst of wind came from his lungs. Nearby trees splintered, peppering and puncturing the apes with jagged chunks of wood.

"Keep moving!" Certo ordered, shoving into Crona with his shoulder. The white dragoness was dragging along, slower than usual. "Move!"

"I'm trying!" Crona gasped as she huffed along, her legs feeling like jelly ready to give way any second now. Each step felt like it was taking every bit of her energy to complete. At last she could no longer go another inch. She collapsed to the ground, causing Certo back into her and trip. The black dragon snarled irritatedly and scrambled back to his feet as more apes converged on their position. Another strong burst of wind halted the apes in their path, if only for the briefest of moments.

"Crona, wake up!" Certo shouted, standing over her as if to shield her from sight; the dragoness did not respond. Seeing that he was distracted, an ape lunged for him, swinging a leather whip which wrapped tightly around his neck, cutting off his air supply. Certo jolted forward as the ape tried to pull him closer for the others to pounce on him. Another whip cracked along his back leaving an open laceration. The apes were growing more confident, seeing that he was trying to protect his friend and unable to focus on all of them at once. The ape holding the whip yanked hard, pulling the black dragon forward, straining Certo's neck in the process.

A shadow passed over the black dragon as three small agile apes leaped overhead, dropping a heavy net down on top of him. The ape with the whip released his hold and waved, signaling the others to tie the net to the ground. Certo struggled frantically to get free but his horns and limbs were getting caught in the leather mesh.

"Get her!"

Certo looked through the net to see the apes grab Crona off the ground and sling her over one of their shoulders. Certo's eyes widened and rage filled his heart. His bad eye suddenly became a blaze and his scars crackled with karma. The sizzling, hot energy burned through the leather net, leaving nothing but charred ends in the dirt at his feet. The apes yelped in surprise, many of them never having witnessed this power before themselves.

A hot gust of wind kicked up from the ground, sending dirt and leaves into the faces of the surrounding apes. The baboons snarled angrily, rubbing their stinging eyes. The ones attempting to make off with Crona stopped dead in their tracks as the black dragon unleashed a chain of crimson lightning from his jaws. The bolts struck the trees they were heading for. The trunks exploded, and the huts in the canopy fell towards the ground. The apes screamed and dropped Crona as they turned to flee. Another sonic roar shattered the huts, blowing them back away from the fallen dragoness. Seeing that their catch had been saved, the apes made another attempt to retrieve their prize. Certo bellowed furiously and lunged for them. He sprang onto the back of the nearest ape and sank his teeth into its neck. The ape squalled and spun, flailing its arms wildly. Another nearby baboon swung its club, catching Certo in his shoulder. The young male fell to the ground in a spatter of blood and released a concentrated blast of karma. Two apes disappeared in the searing beam of energy leaving nothing but a pile of ash.

The barbarians were pressing harder, forcing Certo into a corner as he tried to protect his friend. The next ape to get to close ended up with a mercury tail blade between its eyes while another fell to a bolt of red lightning. All at once the apes swarmed in mass. Certo staggered back, and sucked in a deep breath. As he thrust his head forward to blow a gust of wind, a cloud of jagged ice particles rained down from above. The wind propelled the burst of ice forward, freezing the apes where they stood. Certo looked up to see Mateo descending towards them, his armor already stained with the blood of the apes.

"Need some help?" He wheezed. It had never been more apparent to him how much his armor weighed until now.

"Get Crona out of here! I'll be right behind you!"

"Got it!" Mateo did his best to hoist the unconscious dragoness onto his back. "Wow, she's heavy for someone so short."

Certo growled at him over his shoulder but quickly turned to lash out at another charging mandrill. The ape clutched at its bleeding face before being blown back into a cluster of his fellow comrades. "Go, now!" Certo ordered. Mateo spread his wings and Certo exhaled a warm thermal to give the ice dragon a strong lift off the ground. As Mateo beat his wings ward to gain more altitude he glanced back over his shoulder in time to see more apes converging on the black dragon. Certo lashed the air with his tail, staying his attackers momentarily. This gave him just enough of a chance to spring off the ground and beat his wings to get airborne.

The nearest ape leaped high and grabbed the black dragon by the tail, yanking him back down to the ground. Certo gave a startled squawk and whirled on the baboon, digging his claws into its face. The warrior howled in pain, releasing the dragon from his grip to clutch at his face. By now the other apes were lunging for Certo, attempting to subdue him in a single group effort. Mateo could only watch in horror as more and more apes piled on top of Certo, pinning him to the ground. Before he knew it the black dragon was gone from view, covered in a mass of sweaty, furry bodies.

"Get out of here." The ice dragon screamed in his mind. "He told you to go! Now go!" He turned and continued to climb higher, hoping to get out of range of the spears which were beginning to shoot up towards him.

Down on the ground Certo was becoming desperate. The apes were smothering him with their heavy weight and fowl smelling odor. He could not breathe or draw in enough air to release his signature attack. He continued struggling as his vision started to blur from the lack of fresh oxygen. When a spear jammed into his hind leg he instantly snapped out of his trance-like state and let out a pain-filled roar. The cry shook the ground sending up a cloud of dust and his scars burned against the hides pressing him down. The apes screamed in agony as their flesh burned away. Their comrades pushing them down was causing them more harm than good and they immediately started to push back, struggling to get away from the searing heat.

At last Certo had burned them enough to gain some wiggling room. He thrust his head out of the pile of bodies and sucked in a deep breath of air. Seeing what was about to hit, the nearest apes moved to clamp their hands over his jaws. Their effort was in vain as another sonic roar struck them at point blank range, rupturing their eardrums and causing blood to spurt from their eyes and nostrils. The young dragon spread his wings, knocking back a couple more apes in the process and flapped them hard. He was finally free from their grasp, but not from the immediate threat.

A shrill screech ripped through the air and a chain of lightning struck a tree, the explosion of energy sending apes tumbling through the air. Certo looked up as Voltrus and a small squad of four sentries shot overhead, covering the ground with fire, ice and lightning.

"Hurry up Certo! We don't have time to be waiting on you!" The lightning dragon shouted as the formation banked back around for another pass. The apes hooted and hollered, scrambling to get out of the path of breath attacks. Certo climbed into the air just as the sentries passed underneath causing a warm thermal to burst up from the ground. The air dragon followed after them as they met up with an armored earth sentry, who was allowing Mateo to rest with Crona in the crook of his shoulder blades between his wings. The young apprentice was breathing heavily from the overexertion but managed to nod to the black dragon, signaling that the dragoness was secure.

"Do you have what you came for?" Voltrus demanded in a rather cross tone. He glared at Certo with angry golden eyes as they flew on towards the northwest.

"Everything is fine," Certo answered with a dark tone in his voice. He looked over at the unconscious chronicler. "Everything will be fine as long as she's safe."

"I hope you understand what you've done here young dragon," the fire sentry growled. "We are already short on physically fit warriors and you took one of our youngest…"

"I'm sure Certo is aware." Voltrus interrupted. "But I'm certain my apprentice had a paw in this as well." He glanced at Mateo who tried to shy away from view. Deep down the lieutenant was glad to see that all three youngsters were safe. However, he had his orders from the guardians, and duty superseded personal feelings. "Come, we must catch up to the rest of the guard. We will deal with their punishments later. Certo?" Voltrus glanced over at the air dragon who took the hint. The illuminated scars on his body faded away and a warm breeze blew at their backs, propelling them at a quickened pace.

A soft groan came from the throat of the albino black dragon. The apes watching over him gave a slight jump in surprise. Neros's eye opened to star blankly at the world above him. The apes grunted to one another, before reaching down to help their leader off the ground. Neros shrugged them off with an angry snort. He staggered to his feet and spent a couple minutes getting his senses sorted out.

"Where is she?" He mumbled, almost inaudibly. "Has she gone?"

"Um, we are currently waiting to hear from our fellow warriors." A tall lanky scout wheezed. "We sent many of our kind after her, but they have yet to return to us."

Neros was silent as he stared at the ground. The wind was returning to normal and he could sense the world around him now. The two apes beside him stood ready should he give them an order while others lingered nearby, dragging their wounded and weapons off the ground. A low sigh escaped from the albino's maw as he looked at what remained of the puddle of concentrated magic. The blue mist had all but vanished from its physical form.

The apes watched with weary eyes as the dragon limped over to the puddle no larger than a melon fruit. The vapor rising from the ground spiraled around Neros as he concentrated on the wind current about them. Slowly his body began to age and enlarge. All around the baboons backed away as the adolescent male mutated into a much larger adult dragon. Once satisfied, the air dragon stepped out of the magical current and watched it disappear.

"Master, I don't understand." The ape assisting the scout whispered. "What did you do? How?"

Neros glared at the ape trembling in his shadow. The tension between the two nearly caused the other on-lookers to pass out from over anticipation. Then without warring, Neros lashed out and pinned the scrambling mandrill to the ground. The baboon gave a gargled squawk and tried to lift the heavy paw that pressed down on him. His heart began to race and pound against his chest as the adult dragon leaned down towards him, his ruby eyes flashing with violet energy. "I don't answer to traitors."

"But how did you…" The ape's eyes widened as he felt the dragon's tail blade plunge into his gut. Blood burst from the back of his throat and onto Neros's face. A growl resonated in his throat before he stepped off the carcass and wipe his blade in the dirt. "Get rid of this filth." He ordered the nearby scout. The ape hooted twice to his peers and they hurried to grab up the body. As they carried it away, Neros sat down and watched as the apes went about their business. They had been dealt a heavy blow and it would take time to recover. That was alright by his standards; he had work to do in the meantime.

As the flight of dragons left the territory of the apes behind them, Certo moved to fly closer to the earth sentry carrying Crona and Mateo. The ice dragon sensed the black dragon's eyes on him and shifted slightly, making it clear he was not attempting to get to close to the dragoness. Certo ignored him but kept his eyes on the female. This had been too close of an encounter; a victory far too close to Neros's grasp. It was clearer now, more than ever, that Certo would have to keep her safe from his twins clutches. And to do that, he knew what he would have to do.


	36. Chapter 36

The flickering light from the lanterns woke Crona from her deep slumber. She groaned as she tried to turn away from the distracting flickering against her eyelids. The dragoness curled to the side and tried to hide her face in the crook of Certo's arm as she usually did when the sun woke her before she was ready. She felt the cold chill of a body next to her, instead of the familiar warmth of her friend. Crona's eyelids lifted to see a grey dragoness resting beside her, just beginning to drift off to sleep. Once she recognized the face, her head lifted off the pillows and she gave her friend a curious look.

"Terra? What are you doing here?"

The ice dragoness twitched slightly, already having been aware of Crona's stirring. She gave a sleepy yawn and stretched her long neck out, pooping her vertebrae in the process. "Watching over you. Certo said you sleep better when someone is there with you. So I was elected to be your nest buddy. At least until Certo is out?"

Crona raised a brow. "Out? Out of where?"

Terra sighed and lowered her head onto her front paws. "Certo's being held in detention at the moment. He apparently got in trouble for going to rescue you when you went missing."

"He did? But… how? I don't understand how he could be held in detention for that."

"My father had said he could not afford to send out any dragons to search for you because it would put the rest of the guard in danger." Terra explained, clearly reciting what had been explained to her by either Amp or Nitrus. "They expected him to leave on his own and search for you, but soon discovered he had brought Mateo along, seeing as how he knew where to find the apes, and eventually you. Captain Cytros ended up sending Lieutenant Voltrus and some sentries out to help but…"

"It was not under good circumstances." Crona frowned, not entirely pleased with the situation she had woken up to. Terra nodded and the white dragoness sighed. "So I'm going to guess Certo is currently being 'detained' in the dungeon below the guardian temple?" Terra nodded. "Then I'm going to go have a word with him myself."

"Are you sure you're up to something like that? Especially after just waking up?"

"I feel fine, really." Crona bobbed her head. She rose to her feet and stretched her wings out, feeling the immense tension that had built up in her muscles. Flying right now would not be pleasant even if it meant getting around quicker.

Crona's blue eyes drifted down to look at the black egg in the nest of blankets. "How's she doing?"

Terra smiled, gently nudging the egg. "Mom says she's doing very well. She's been going to visit Certo each afternoon to let him know that she is alright. I think it's put his worries at ease, even if it is temporary."

"No doubt." Crona thought to herself. "If you wouldn't mind watching her for a short while longer…"

"No need to ask." Terra waved her wing dismissively. "I'm happy to help you and Certo in any way possible." Crona paused, fixing her friend with a suspicious stare. The ice dragoness giggled softly upon seeing her reaction. "Strictly speaking from a friendship standpoint. Now go on. I'm sure he's waiting for you."

"Thank you." Crona gave a slight bob of her head before leaving.

Outside the air was chilly in the late afternoon sun. Shadows had already spread across the city, making the wind even colder than before. Crona shuddered as she walked stiffly though the streets, nodding at the passing dragons who were on their way home. Something about the city was different, though she could not quite but a claw on it. It seemed so much quieter, almost to the point where she felt alone. When she arrived at the guardian's temple no guards stood at the entrance as she had come to expect. Surprised by this she crept inside cautiously, taking care to move silently down the hall.

Voices could be heard in the conference chamber ahead. "Should we have the inauguration now or after the winter months have passed?" The sound of Kia's voice struck a familiar note in Crona's ears.

"Perhaps they should be held sooner rather than later." Cytros replied. "After the crushing blow Titanus dealt us, our fellow dragons could use the moral boost."

"That is true." Stratus's voice acknowledged his friend's choice. "However, as you have said, we have lost much recently. Maybe it would be out of courtesy and respect for the fallen that we wait and give the families time to mourn." Nitrus gave a subtle murmur, knowing full well that both dragons brought up a good point.

"Maybe we could use another opinion." Sin spoke up, catching their attention. "What do you think Crona?" Every head turned towards the great doors of the conference chamber as the white dragoness emerged from her hiding spot. She gave an annoyed look at the oracle before glancing around the circle of eyes.

"How are you feeling?" Nitrus asked, in a rather stale tone. He was not too amused at the idea of her listening in on them without an invitation.

"Well enough." The dragoness replied with a bow. "What's going on that I should be asked to provide another opinion?"

"We have been deliberating about what to do about Volcanus and Tectonica." Kia replied. Instinctively, Crona's spines flattened slightly and a hiss resonated in her throat. "They're gone." Kia spoke up, raising a paw to calm the young female. "You don't need to worry about them any longer."

The raspy noise disappeared and Crona's brows jumped. "Gone? As in banished? Or…"

"They both sacrificed themselves to subdue Titanus." Cytros replied. "He's not dead, but he has been buried away beneath what is now an active volcano. And as long as he stays there, he won't be any threat to us." Crona found herself dumbstruck as she stared at her talons. She could hardly believe that the two guardians were actually gone now. How could they have made such a sacrifice when they had been so ruthless to one of their own kind?

The white dragoness grit her teeth in anger and frustration, not knowing whether to pity or hate them. "This currently brings us t a dilemma." Nitrus continued. "In their their deaths, we are now short three guardians."

"Three?" Crona looked around the faces at Kia, Amp, Nitrus, Stratus and Cytros. "W-where's Cryus?"

"He has… unfortunately relinquished his title as guardian." Nitrus sighed. "He and Certo had a bit of an altercation and afterwards he felt that it was too much trouble to deal with one who he feels should not be allowed to reside amongst our ranks."

"Arrogant jerk." Crona muttered under her breath.

"So we are currently searching for a replacement for him. But we have also chosen two prime candidates to replace Volcanus and Tectonica." Nitrus glanced at the librarian and fire guard.

Crona's eyes widened. "You're both becoming guardians?" She gaped in awe at them, almost in disbelief. Though she could have hardly picked anyone better to fill the positions being granted to them. Both dragons nodded, proudly if not slightly humbled. "I…I'm happy for both of you." Crona stammered. "I'm sure you'll do us…everyone proud."

The guardians all looked at one another. Crona's voice had taken a sudden sorrowful tone. "Is something wrong?" Nitrus asked, peering inquisitively at her.

"No, no. Not at all." Crona lied, shaking her head. "I'm just surprised is all. It's quite a shock but I don't mean that in a bad way at all." She eyed them all hoping that they bought into her excuse. It was then that she noticed Kia and Nitrus's broken wings; Kia's being in the most severe condition with a dense ice caste around it and badly burned membrane. Crona would have been surprised if she ever flew again. Nitrus's deltoid was swollen but covered in sapling leaves to give him some relief. Cytros and Amp were clean of any injuries but still looked rather worn out.

"So what would you say young Crona?" Stratus asked gently. "Should we make our announcement now or at the end of the winter solstice?"

"Uh, I…" Crona stopped to think. She did not feel pressured, but the guardians had brought up a good point about the pros and cons of announcing Cytros and Stratus's advancement in their social order. It would give the dragons more moral, but at the same time she felt as if it would be like telling them to not grieve over their lost loved ones. "I vote that we…you wait for the announcement." She finally stated. "In honor of those who have fallen."

"Very well then." Nitrus nodded, solemnly acknowledging her reasoning. "We will grieve this solstice and honor our lost brethren. Come springtime, we will start a new. A new age for draconic kind. We will begin rebuilding our society in a stronger more unified order. We must make sure that in the thousand years to come, we must act as a family. All of us. If we are to survive, it will be imperative." The guardian's icy eyes swept around the room. "Are we all in agreement?"

No verbal answer was received; only saddened nods followed by a long silence. Crona continued to stare at her feet. She was glad Nitrus was taking charge in such a time where hardship was everywhere, but deep down she could not help but feel for him, having to take on such a role as this, being the ranking guardian. Her only hope was that he would not follow the same path as Volcanus.

Sensing the dragoness's discomfort, Kia rose to her feet and stepped off her pedestal. "Crona I'd like you to come with me." She glanced over her shoulder at the others. "If you'll excuse us." The air dragoness limped down the corridor with Crona keeping in close stride. "I know why you're here, and I want you to know that what we did was not an easy choice." Crona remained silent. "We all care deeply for you and Certo, and we are grateful for what you two have done for us as a society. But at the same time, we cannot let reckless acts such as that go unnoticed or unpunished if they were in violation of orders, or endangerment of another innocent life."

"I'm well aware." Crona answered, not lifting her head to the guardian. "I'm certain Certo is aware of this as well."

"Indeed he is." Kia replied. "Nitrus knew he could not stop him from searching you out when you went missing. But the fact that Mateo went with him changed his opinion entirely. If Certo had come back with you and Mateo had not followed him, then he most likely would not have been punished. But because Nitrus had to send out sentries who were already not in the best fighting shape, he had to jeopardize the overall safety of our forces. And that put us all in a nasty position."

"I already understand." Crona repeated, more forcefully this time. She was well aware of how strict the dragon military would become over the years due to her parents direct involvement. Though at the same time she had to keep her secret hidden still from the guardian, so she bit her tongue and continued following around the side of the temple.

Kia frowned, but understood that if she sugar-coated the reality of the situation for her former student, she would only be aggravating their relationship. The air dragoness came before the two sentries standing guard at the entrance who nodded respectfully to both females. The guardian looked down at Crona with a rather anxious expression on her face. "Would you like some time alone with him?"

Crona paused for a second before nodding. There would be topics that she and Certo would need to discuss in private. Kia bobbed her head and the guards stepped out of the way, allowing Crona to descend the stairwell. As she walked by she noticed the severe burns on their tails, and hind legs beneath their armor, more signs that the dragon guard had been severely crippled by Titanus.

Down in the dungeon it was much warmer despite the minimal torch light. No other guards were around, much to Crona's surprise. Large holes filled the walls where earth bullets had punched into the stone; signs of Tectonica's infiltration to break out the late guardian of fire. As she walked to the back of the small cell block, her eyes fell upon the mangled metal bars that had once held Volcanus prisoner. It was the only cell in the dungeon making Crona question whether her friend was even here anymore.

"Certo?" Her whisper woke the black dragon from his light slumber. Crona's heart fluttered when he seemed to emerge from out of the shadows like a jet-black entity. "Thank goodness you're okay." She looked him over, remembering his deep shoulder wound from before. It would not fully heal for at least a couple of weeks, but she could identify Thundra's medicinal work, putting her worries to rest.

Certo stared at her for a moment, before glancing past her to see if they were being watched. What he did next nearly knocked the dragoness off her feet. Certo stepped past the melted metal bars that should have been his prison door and nuzzled his cheek against hers. Crona's face suddenly felt hot and her heart slammed against her chest wall. "We need to talk." He murmured stepping back into the cell and laying down on his stomach.

Taking the hint, Crona got her mind settled and put time on a temporary hold. The gesture had been something Certo had never done to her before; not with so much emotion hidden behind it. As she lay down on her belly as well, she could see past his eyes that he had been changed deep inside. Her capture had left him traumatized. He no longer carried himself like the aggressive protector he once was. His wings drooped almost sadly at his sides, like they weighed too much to keep properly tucked in.

"How are you feeling right now?" His eyes seemed to pierce into her soul, searching for any sign of her trying to hide her true feelings.

"I'm okay for the time being."

"And… what about… you know…" Crona squinted at him curiously, not certain what he was referring to. Certo held his paw up up, facing it towards her. He made a circular motion with his arm and Crona bobbed her head in understanding.

"I think I've recovered enough." She replied. "Why do you want to know?"

Certo's eyes drifted down to his paws for a long time before lifting back to meet hers. "We are going to get you back home."

Crona jerked back as if she had been slapped in the face. "W-what? Where is this coming from? Weren't we already working on that?"

"Crona, I want you to listen to me." Certo sighed, his voice sending a chill up her spine. "I know we were already working on that plan…but after what just happened… we really need to bite down hard and get you to safety."

The young chronicler almost would have laughed in his face if she did not take him more seriously. "Certo I'm fine. I'm back here, safe and sound and I have you here to help me should I need it."

"That's not good enough." The young male shook his head. "Neros almost succeeded in getting you to do just what he wanted. That was far too close a call. Even more than I'm comfortable with. We have to devote all our efforts now to finding a way to get you home."

"What about the city?" The dragoness protested. "The army can't stand up to any attack right now. If Neros were to launch a strike against the city, we'd be wiped out for sure."

"They can handle things themselves right now." Certo shot back. "Besides, after what you did, I'm sure the apes are going to need to time to recover themselves as well. We have time, but how much I have no idea. Which is why we need to get start right this instant!" His last sentence echoed in the dungeon startling her for a brief second. After a moment he settled down and lay his head on his paws. He had nothing more to say. Not while he was to be confined here.

"How long must you stay here?" Crona asked after a long silent tension passed between them.

"At least three more days." Certo muttered. He glanced at her out of the corner of his eye and fixed her with his scarred eye. "In that time I want you to keep looking for a way out of here."

The white dragoness's heart sank. Certo was completely steadfast on sending her home where his twin could no longer get at her, meaning that she had no hope of changing his mind about the situation. Mentally defeated, she released her hold on time. For a long time, neither spoke, just stared blankly at one another, lost in their own thoughts.

After an hour passed, Crona spoke up. "You were really worried weren't you." Certo did not respond. He remained as solid as a rock, only his sides moving as he sucked in deep breaths through his nostrils. The only time he had felt such cold, intense fear before was that fateful night the apes invaded his home. He wished to be able to express his feelings, but right now he needed to be strong, for both of them. Their bond had grown so close that it would already be near impossible to sever it. Crona did not deserve to be tasked with breaking such a fond friendship, so the black dragon put it on himself.

Seeing that he was too deep in thought to talk, the young dragoness got up to leave. As she reached the bottom of the stairs Certo lifted his head. "Crona." She stopped and glanced back at where he lay, hardly able to see him at all in the darkness. "If you have to leave, don't worry about saying goodbye."

Crona's eyes widened and her heart twisted into a knot. She could barely believe what he had just said. Hurtful words had passed between them before but nothing that struck the heart this hard. Tears began to swell up in her eyes yet she clenched her teeth, not willing to cry in front of him. She turned to hurry up the stairs and away from the temple. Behind her, Certo felt his own heart create a lump in his throat. He settled back down into the darkness and closed his eyes, hoping that sleep would help withhold his own tears.

What on earth was Certo thinking? How dare he ask something so heartless from her. She had no doubt he was concerned for her safety, but why the sudden coldness? It was like his old self had returned, even more hollow and lost than before.

Crona's thoughts blurred in her mind as she trudged up the hill towards the library. Books were what she needed. They always helped her forget about her troubles, even if it was only for a short time. She stormed into the library, taking no time to look up to see if anyone was around. All over, earth dragons moved rubble being taken from the shelter being constructed. Crona stopped time, not wishing to converse with anyone at the moment and disappeared into the back of the library. Verona had kept her notes and books stashed in a private corner, out of the way of any clumsy feet. Once she was alone, she let the noise continue in the front rooms, and sat down to return to her work.

There was nothing else for her to do other than try and solve her problem of being stuck in this time period. Certo had been right, despite the harshness of his voice; the city guard would be taking time to recover. She hated it when he was right, especially about situations as serious as this. The feeling of being torn between her love for her father, and her loyalty to her friend was eating her up inside. Why did things have to turn out this way? She never planned on making friends once she had discovered what had happened for this exact reason.

_"If you have to leave, don't worry about saying goodbye."_ That sentence continued to repeat itself in her head, making her madder each time. Crona knew full well that she would have to cut Certo out of her life, and she knew that he was aware of this as well.

"But that doesn't mean we can't say goodbye to each other." She whispered crossly. It did not matter what Certo said, or what he wanted. Crona was determined to leave him on good terms; not arguing like they always did. It would be hard, but she would make it a farewell that she would never regret.

The white dragoness continued to look over her notes, and she found a couple of dust-covered scrolls she had not gathered before. Curiously she opened them after checking to see if anyone was watching. Crona spent several minutes looking over the words, already captivated in the scrolls contents. Had she missed these beforehand or had someone found them while she was away? Most likely the second; but who? It did not matter right now. These were the first documents on magic she had ever laid eyes on since being sent back.

Crona's head lifted and her muscles twitched as she thought about getting up. She wanted to go back to Certo and fill him in on her recent discovery; but that would have been childish, to go telling someone something meaningless when nothing had been done with it. He probably did not even want to see her right now. It was probably for the better; she needed to concentrate. The young chronicler got out her ink wells and writing tools and opened her notes.

Hours passed and Crona blazed through each scroll at least five times. She worked fast the first round through, leaving the next four times to fine tune her notes more. By the first day she had completed four whole rolls of paper after just reading through the first book. She continued working tirelessly, only stopping to suddenly fall asleep for a couple hours before waking and jumping back into her project. Periodically, Verona would poke her head in to check on her, pleased that she was making meticulous use of the scrolls she had left her as a surprise.

The ice dragoness had stumbled across the two scrolls while supervising the young dragons as they helped sort through the archives. In actuality, she should have sent them to the vault or at least informed Stratus about their appearance. However, seeing these rare scrolls captivated her, filling her with a desire to share the knowledge. Though Crona was the only one she could truly see being the most appreciative of suck works, and therefore slipped them into her pile of books she had stacked before leaving with the guards.

Seeing the young dragoness furiously writing down notes put a smile on the librarian's muzzle. She slowly slipped away, returning to the contraction crew, busily digging in the back chamber. The earth dragons nodded politely as they pushed and pulled the large chunks of rock and bags of debris across the floor. Verona sighed sadly as she looked down at the marble floor, now covered in dirt, small rocks and scratches from the dragging stones. The once quiet library had been transformed into what could have easily looked like the remains of the dragon academy; all within the space of a month. "And all because of one young dragon," she murmured to herself.

She had not seen Certo in many weeks; not since Tectonica's assassination attempt. Her mind began to wonder as she reflected back to when she had first met the young male. As she paced she happened to glance over at one of the pillars supporting the upper level of the library. A small crack could be seen across the marble column where Stratus had been knocked into it. The air dragon certainly possessed a gift of a strong power, capable of taking on the numerous larger dragons who had once been so against him. Even now she felt a sense of admiration towards the black dragon for not misusing it. Verona could hardly name any other dragon trustworthy of such power, especially to one so young and mentally fragile. Though it was not just Certo but Crona as well, despite the faces she put on to hide it. Only once or twice had Verona been able to take a glimpse at the pain the white dragoness held inside. With each moment she saw her, she wished she could do, or at least say, something that would help ease that pain. But because Crona kept most information about herself secret, Verona was unable to come up with the right words to say or actions to comfort her.

"Perhaps it is best that she has Certo." The ice dragoness thought as she stepped into the open sun of the mid-afternoon. Thinking of the odd couple put a smile on the librarian's face.

The day was clear but still chilly. Fall was late but would be hitting hard into the winter months shortly. Her pale blue scales rattled slightly as she sniffed the air. It was going to be a cold winter season, and a long one at that. It would be only a couple of short weeks until the first storms would hit. A sense of urgency seemed to swell up inside her, and she returned to the library. The roof would have to be finished before then and there was still much work to be done.

A gentle breeze blew against Crona's neck. The dragoness stirred in her sleep but did now wake.

The white dragoness was standing on a small rocky ledge, just outside a cave. The spot almost reminded her of Certo's old home; but that place was long gone now. Before her the valley of avlar opened up across the horizon. The sky had gentle clouds floating across its expanse. Birds and insects zipped between trees and flowers, and smoke rose from the villages in the distance. The Silver River glistened like metal in the warm sunlight, almost blinding her in the process. But the beauty of the landscape was not what mattered most to her.

"I'm home." She gasped, and excited smile spread across her muzzle.

Again the breeze was felt against her neck. Crona closed her eyes momentarily as she turned her head. A familiar scent carried in the wind, and when she opened her eyes, she found herself staring into a pair of blue and crimson eyes.

"Certo?" The dragoness mumbled groggily. She blinked several times before rubbing the sleep from her eyes with the back of a talon. Crona glanced around to see she was back in the library surrounded by her scrolls and books. It was morning with the first rays of sun sneaking in through the windows. "W-what are you doing here? I thought you still had three days left before release?"

The black dragon titled his head sideways. "It's been three days."

Crona's brows jumped and she turned to look for her calendar. When she did not immediately see it, she began to mess through her papers, leaving Certo to stare at her skeptically. The dragoness nearly knocked her ink well onto her notes from her clumsy shuffling. When she finally found her personal calendar she let out an astonished sigh; Certo was not joking around. "I'm sorry Certo. I should have been paying more attention and been there for you when you were released."

The young male shook his head. "Your place is here for now Crona. Finding a way to get you home is the only thing that matters any more."

"That's not true." Crona mumbled, barely letting the air dragon pick up her words. "I…I don't want to work so hard that I forget about the ones who matter most to me." She raised her eyes to meet his blank stare. "You and my father together. i care about you both."

Certo stared at her for another minute before turning to the scattered papers about the floor, and began picking them up. "Come on. we've got work to do."

"Yeah," Crona replied with a dejected sigh. She should not have been surprised. But deep in her heart she could not help but feel slightly rejected. However, the hard steadfast look in Certo's eyes would not allow her to dwell on the subject for much longer.

"Has there been anything useful to help us out?" Certo asked as he gathered up three of Crona's note sheets between his front digits.

"A lot actually." Crona perked up, her spines standing nearly erect with eagerness. She ushered Certo closer as she organized her notes. "So I think Verona found a couple books on magic that have really helped my theories a lot. You see, magic is always present in the world around us. it a natural part of our world so it has to be present, even if it is in smaller amounts in certain regions. For example, the territory that the apes call their home has very little magic flowing through it, whereas us dragons live where there's a rich abundance of magic all around us."

"Any particular reason why that is?" Certo asked, trying to sound like he could tell what she was talking about. She had only explained how her powers worked in brief, private moments but had never truly gotten in-depth about them.

"I have a couple theories on that." Crona replied with a hint of excitement in her voice. "Originally I thought it was because the apes are unable to use the elements of the world around them. But then I got to realizing that just because they don't use elemental magic like we do, doesn't mean that their environment doesn't rely on it."

Certo's lips scrunched slightly as he tried to revision the forest. Most of the plants and fauna there were either dead or well on their way there. "So how could anything thrive in that environment?"

Crona did her best to hide her eager grin; it had been too long since she had been able to explain anything this in depth to anyone. "Think of it this way Certo. The apes are like a parasite that feeds off its host. They're naturally glutenous so take whatever they want until there's nothing left before moving on. Their environment is so sick that it can't replenish itself."

"Or if it starts to then they just rip it apart before it can get going again." Certo grumbled, ruffling his wings in irritation.

"Exactly." The white dragoness nodded. "So what i'm thinking of, is getting a few more notes taken and then go find a place where the magic flows at its strongest."

"So you can concentrate everything you have to that one spot?" The black dragon raised a brow, suddenly not to sure about what the young chronicler was getting at.

"And to think i didn't even have to say it aloud." Crona chuckled, giving Certo a haughty smirk.

The air dragon ignored her remark. "Do you really think that's a good idea?" Even you've said before that controlling the blue mist is extremely taxiing on your body as well as your mind."

"I've already taken that into account." She grabbed a piece of scrap paper and a small brush. Taking the hint, Certo glanced back over his shoulder to see if any outside eyes were watching. He opened his wings half way, creating a leathery curtain to hide the white dragoness. "Thank you." Crona smiled and lifted the brush , allowing it to hover in front of her talons. "You see, the blue mist has a natural flow to it. If I try and take control of it it fights me. Much like your karma, if you try and force it, it takes a negative toll on you. I got to thinking that if I can coax it into moving the way I need it to, rather than forcing it, i won't be as exhausted afterwards."

"Okay, so you're going to ask it to work with you and you won't get so pushy with it."

"Precisely." Crona bobbed her head. "It has to be a joint effort. A little give and a little take from each side."

"But are you sure it will work? We can't just rely on your theories every time. We need to make sure it will work."

"Certo, will you relax?" Crona sighed, tilting her head at him. "If anything was meant to be certain then we wouldn't have to be worrying about me getting home in the first place. Am I right."

"I suppose." A low growl gurgled in the back of his throat.

"Just trust me on this. We can make this work."

"I guess I don't have a choice."

"It'll be fine Certo. I promise."

"Alright, alright. I'll trust you."

"There you go, that's the spirit." Crona giggled. "Think positive for once in your life." The black dragon only rolled his eyes and gave a short snort. The white dragoness continued to smile as she returned to her notes. "And I'm not pushy."

Much to Certo's irritation and impatience, Crona did not finish her notes before the day was done. In fact it took another half day before she felt satisfied enough with her research to make a first attempt at her project. By then Certo's patience was nearing its end; the only force keeping him from snapping at her and ordering her to hurry up was the fact that he knew nothing about what she was doing. much of the time he spent pacing around, only stopping to stare at the dragoness as she worked without losing pace. He tried to sleep, but his restlessness kept him awake. When he attempted to eat, his worry kept him from swallowing more than a couple bites; despite his growling stomach.

When Crona finally woke him the following morning he felt as if he had been waiting for years for her to speak. As they made their way away from the city, Certo began to wonder how in depth Crona needed to be with her notes. When she worked she seemed to have no sense of time or notice anyone around her. On the surface he was glad to see her working hard, but felt pained that he was unable to aid her in any way.

"We'll try this spot." Crona announced after stopping for what felt like the fifteenth time that day. "It's got the most concentrated amount of magic we'll need."

"So how are you going to supposedly ask or coax the blue mist to cooperate? Ask it nicely?"

"Har har." Crona scoffed. "It's all about balance Certo. Positive and negative, push and pull. They have to be even or everything is thrown out of alignment. much like you and…"

"Neros. I get it. His karma and mine need to balance out."

"I'm sorry. I should have thought before I spoke."

"Yeah you should have."

"Certo."

"Don't dwell on it. C'mon. We've got work to do."

Crona did not argue. She cleared a patch on the forest floor clear of the fallen leaves of the late fall. Certo sat several feet away, as per were the dragoness's instructions earlier on, holding onto her scrolls which were wrapped carefully in a leather pouch.

The young chronicler composed herself and took in a deep breath before closing her eyes. All around she could feel the gentle breeze amongst the trees. She began to concentrate on the magic of the blue mist, seeing its presence before her in her mind. Once it became more clear, she reached out slowly towards it. The mist seemed to react and swirled away from her slightly. Remaining calm, Crona waved her paw ever so slightly as if she were twirling the wind around her paw. The mist again reacted to her movement, this time spiraling in synch with her own movements.

To the side Certo watched in utter silence. The intense stare he had would have been enough to break a mountain in half. All of his attention was focused on the dragoness, waving her paw in the air. A sudden flash of blue appeared and he dared to blink. A moment later, the flash came again, lingering longer this time. The longer Crona continued to medicate, the longer the flashes of blue mist would last until a fully visible cloud of magic engulfed her paw. Certo's mouth fell open as he took in the sight before him as the magical energy continued to mass around Crona's paw.

Crona felt a weight within her body as she tried to continue swiveling her paw. The blue mist was beginning to fight back, wanting to return to its free-flowing state. "Just a little more." She thought to herself. "Please, help me." The blue mist seemed to pulse in response to her silent plea and she felt the pressure around her body increase. The force around her forelimb sent a shock through her body, causing her to yelp in pain, breaking her concentration. The distraction caused the magic to suddenly combust.

A loud bang sent the creatures nearby scattering noisily. Certo coughed as dust choked his lungs and fanned the air with his wings, clearing the area. When everything had settled, Crona was nowhere to be seen. The black dragon felt his heart skip a beat as he looked around for her. "Crona?" He called, quickly getting to his feet. "Crona!"

A soft groan came from the underbrush several yards away. Lying on her side, Crona blinked several times, dazed from the sudden burst of energy. She could hear the muffled voice of the black dragon as he tried to get a verbal answer out of her as he helped her onto her feet. After squeezing her eyes tightly shut and breathing gently, the ringing in her ears disappeared and her hearing returned to normal.

"Crona, are you alright?" The worry written all over his face.

"Y-yeah. Just a lil dizzy I suppose." She replied. Crona shook her head, trying to rid herself of her dizziness. "That was rather unexpected if I do say so myself."

Certo gave a disgusted snort, sending up a burst of leaves and dirt. "You don't say. I thought you had it all planned out. Maybe you didn't ask nicely enough."

Crona glared at him. "Shut up. I would love to see you do better. But quite frankly, you can't; so I won't waste my time."

The black dragon glowered at her as she got up and shook herself. "So what went wrong then?"

"I'm not certain," Crona shook her head, pressing her paw pads against her head, feeling for bumps. "I think I may have gotten a bit too forceful. I'm so used to forcing the magic to bend to my will because it's been in situations where its power is immediately needed."

"So you're saying you need to get over your basic instincts and relax when you do this?"

"I guess so." Crona sighed. "I think I'd better take it a bit slower for now." She lifted her eyes to meet his. "I don't think I want to return home, blown to bits." Certo narrowed his eyes at her and curled his lip; clearly unamused by the remark. Crona ignored him and repositioned herself to try again. Certo backed away again, but stayed closer should she get blown back again.

Again, the dragoness closed her eyes and lifted a paw, concentrating on the world around her. The blue mist was still just as abundant as before. Slowly, she started waving her paw in small circles, visualizing a portal in her mind forming before her. She slowed her breathing down as the mist began to gather around her digits. Her heart rate was increasing, making her realize that she had to remain calm in order to succeed in her experiment. However, rather than forcing herself to slow her heart rate down, she increased the speed of her paw moving to keep up with the rapid pounding in her chest. She realized her mistake too late and the blue mist warped before combusting again.

Certo cringed as he saw Crona get thrown back again into the underbrush. He had expected this process to take time but, the way things were turning out, it would only be a matter of time before theirs ran out.

Crona gave an exhausted groan as she collapsed onto the floor in her makeshift study. Her entire body ached. She was covered in bruises from being blown backwards all day, each time the blue mist combusted. She had not expected to lose her concentration so much during this process and now it was proving to be just as irritating as it was tirering.

"Are you going to be alright?" Certo asked, craning his head down to nudge her slightly.

"I think so. Maybe after I get some rest we can start again tomorrow."

Certo was silent for a long time as he set her notes off to the side. He continually glanced over his shoulder at her, wanting to speak to her, but unable to find the right words to say. He knew she needed rest but his anxiety had been getting to him all day.

Sensing the tension in the air, Crona raised her eyes to the black dragon. "You should probably go back to Kia's for now." She suggested. "You haven't seen Pip in a long time and I'm sure she could use her uncle's company."

The black dragon stared for a moment before bobbing his head, and turning to leave. It was a Crona way of saying that he should get some rest as well, and that she was not his only priority.

"You're not my only concern." Certo muttered as he left the library, stepping into the darkness of the city. "But you're my main one for the time being."

He trudged down the streets towards the residence of the air guardian. Rather than taking the back entrance to the balcony as he normally would have, he entered through the front door, making his presence known to the pale green dragoness.

"Certo. Welcome back." The guardian greeted, somewhat cheerfully. It was then she noticed he was alone. "Where's Crona? Did you two have another argument?"

"No." Certo shook his head. "She'll be staying at the library for a little while."

"Still doing research on magic I see."

The young male lifted his head. "How do you know what she's doing?"

The dragoness's expression grew serious. "I heard from Verona that Crona was asking before we left to track down Titanus." Her eyes narrowed at the black dragon. "Certo I want you to know that what you two are doing can be very dangerous and if word ever got out to the rest of the city, you both could be banished for attempting to research magic without going through the proper process. The study of magic is a highly respected practice and is only chosen for the most promising dragons after graduating from the academy."

Certo felt his body grow hot with anger. He wished he could tell the guardians about Crona's situation so they would understand; but a promise was a promise. He would have to work with minimal assistance in order to get Crona home. "Thank you for the warning." He mumbled and turned to leave.

"Certo." The black dragon stopped and glanced back with his blue eye. "I'm letting you know that I still value you both as my students. If it were up to me I would allow you to do whatever you needed to. But the guardians have to act as one, not just individuals."

"I understand." Certo nodded. "We'll make it together. We always have, and that won't be changing any time soon."

"I know. Just be careful. Don't go toying around in Volcanus's study or anything like that. I don't want the guards coming in to catch you stealing information."

Certo dug his claws into the floor slightly, but resisted the urge to lash out in verbal defense. Instead he nodded and continued to the back room, leaving Kia to stare at his tail as it disappeared behind the curtain.

Once in the room, Certo stepped lightly into the nest of sheets which had been greatly increased due to the cold weather. He would have to thank Thundra later on; but right now he too needed to sleep. The young male coiled himself around Pip's egg and rubbed his horns against the shell. In a matter of minutes he was fast asleep.

When day finally came, Certo woke to hearing voices in the hallway and the patter of small footsteps coming his way. A tiny head poked out from behind the curtain and stopped. Maya stared at Certo for a moment before squealing with delight. The young lightning dragoness bounded over to his side and flopped down beside him, aggressively nuzzling his shoulder with deep affection. Certo could only stare down at her, wondering what would become of her one day. He could wish with all his might for her to not be affected by the oncoming war, but it was well out of his power to make such a wish come true.

"Glad to see you're able to visit your niece again." Thundra spoke up, appearing in the doorway. "Maya's been taking excellent care of her while you've been away."

"Thank you." Certo bobbed his head, feeling the guilt and shame of neglecting his last remaining family member. "I will owe you a lot for this. It's just… I've been trying to help Crona…She…"

"It's alright for now Certo." Thundra whispered, lowering her head towards him. She gave him a comforting nudge with her snout, causing his cheeks to flush slightly. "Just don't forget about her completely alright."

"I…I won't." He stammered. "Once I'm done with Crona… I'll promise to take care of my…"

"You can stop right there." Kia spoke up, coming in beside Thundra. "We know what you mean, and I for one do not feel revenge is going to be in your benefit."

"I wasn't talking about Neros."

"Not directly. But we know you well enough to see that you still think about him with each minute that passes."

"Wouldn't you if your own sibling murdered you family? Took everything from you?"

"We've all lost something in this war Certo." Kia continued. "It's not just you. It's all of us."

"Which is why I need to help Crona right now." The black dragon announced as he rose up off the cushions.

"What are both of you doing?" Thundra asked curiously as she began her daily inspection of Pip's egg.

"I can't say." Certo shook his head. "But right now, as much as I want to be here…" He glanced at Maya who sat like a scaled guard dog beside the egg. "I have a promise I need to keep to Crona, and I'm obligated to put her before everything else right now."

"I hope you don't regret this later on." Kia sighed, her voice ruffling the papers in the room. "It's important for a dragonet to have its caretakers close by while still incubating."

Certo could only stare sadly at his niece's shell before turning away in self-loathing. He climbed onto the balcony railing and took to the air, heading towards the library. The chilly morning air sent a shiver down his spine. Overhead, the clouds were dense with moisture; signs of a coming storm. In his gut, Certo was feeling an ominous sense of dread build up. If Crona did not find a way to create another time portal home, then the next time Neros attacked, he would spare no expense trying to seize her for himself.

When he reached the library, the earth dragons were already busily moving away the rocks and debris from the newly carved out shelter. The rocks and slabs of stone were being pilled into carts and towed towards the city walls where the sentries would use the rubble to reinforce the barrier. The workers paid little attention to him as he entered the building. Crona was back in her study, looking over her notes intuitively, searching for any information she may have missed before.

For several minutes, Certo stood waiting patiently at the chamber entrance. When Crona paid no attention to him, he gave a sharp exhale, causing her papers to ruffle in her face.

The dragoness looked up, surprised at the sudden breeze inside. "Certo! I was just about to go get you."

"Sure you were." He responded dryly, "are you ready to go?"

"Yeah, let's give this another shot. I've got a little better idea on what to do this time."

"Then let's hope we make some serious progress then." The black dragon grabbed her harness while she loaded it with her notes and writing tools. "Are we going to the same spot as yesterday?"

"I think it would be the best place for now until we need to find another practicing ground." Certo only shrugged and followed her outside, and into the mid-morning sky. "I think I need to place myself in a different mental state than what I was doing before." Crona explained as they flew along. "I think what I was doing before was still just trying to force the blue mist to do what I wanted, rather than relaxing myself and getting into a calm state of mind. You see, what I noticed is that the mist flows freely and smoothly, and I think that in order to connect with it better, I need to imitate it in a way. Maybe magic reacts more to similar sources rather than the latter." The only response from the black dragon was a nearly inaudible mumble. Crona glanced over to see his eyes glazed over in deep thought. "Certo, are you alright? What's on your mind?"

Certo glanced up for a split second before averting his eyes from hers. "Nothing."

The chronicler banked sharply, placing herself in front of him, nearly causing a mid-air collision between them. "I know that look Certo. Something has gotten to you and if I know you, which I do, you're going to dwell on it until something else supersedes it."

"It's alright Crona. You don't need to worry."

"I know I don't need to, but I still do." Crona looked pleadingly into his eyes. "Come on Certo. We don't have much time left between us. I don't want to go home wondering if there was any other way I could have helped you while I was here."

Certo could not bring himself to break contact from her gaze. With a heavy sigh, he drifted down to the ground with the dragoness close behind. "Last night Kia was saying that she knows what we're up to with the trying to gather information on magic and what not. And she was warning me that if anyone else were to find out that we were trying to research on our own, we'd most likely be banished."

"Master Kia said that?" Crona nearly squeaked in surprise, never dreaming of the guardian being capable of saying such a thing to someone she cared for like Certo.

The black dragon nodded. "She was saying that because we don't have specific permission to research magic, we are going against the rules of the city."

Crona hung her head, feeling the pressure weighing down on her shoulders. What other way was there to get home? She needed materials to research and did not have the time needed to wait to obtain them. At the same time, she wished to respect those who had been like family to her for the past several months. Now she was beginning to wonder if she would ever make it home.

After a long silence she raised her head to speak. "Was there anything else she said to you?"

Certo shook his head. "Just that she was keeping it quiet because it's us. But she pretty much wants us to stay away from the vault… and Volcanus's study for some reason."

Crona raised a skeptical brow and her scales rattled slightly. "Volcanus's study?"

"That's what she said."

"Certo that's it!" Crona squawked, causing the black dragon to jump. "Volcanus's study!"

"What do you mean?"

"Kia said to 'stay out of Volcanus's study' right? That means he has books on magic there."

"So what?"

"So what it means, is I have more material to look through and references I can use!" Crona was nearly bursting with excitement at the thought of being able to study more."

"Didn't I just say that we were told 'not' to go rummaging around his study?"

"Certo, I think Kia was giving us a hint on where to find our research material."

"Are you sure about that?" The black dragon narrowed his eyes at her suspiciously. Something about her overexcitement made him feel extra weary; possibly due to the fact that her awareness would completely disappear when delving into her notes.

"Yes." Crona nodded confidently. "And if not, then some rules were meant to be broken; especially if it's for the greater good."

"I guess you're right." Certo shrugged. "But even still, don't you think you should practice for part of the day and see if your…theories are right or not?"

Crona thought about that for a fraction of a second. "No. I'd prefer to perfect my notes rather than blowing myself up every ten minutes for an entire day. Now come on." She ordered, walking several paces past him towards the city. Crona took to the air and beat her wings hard, gaining as much speed and altitude as she could to get back to the city. Certo scrambled to catch up, but found difficulty in keeping pace with the numerous scrolls weighing him down; a carrier job he was not used to by any means.

It was nearly midday when they finally reached the city again. The streets were nowhere near as packed as they normally were. With the cold season coming on, dragons were doing more hunting away from the city, stocking up on supplies for when they were unable to leave their homes. The first stop the two made was to the residential quarters that had once belonged to Volcanus and his grandson. Inside the pavilion, the air smelled cold and stale, like nothing had been living there for months on end. A faint scent of ash hung in the air, but nothing more.

"Wait here." Crona whispered, should anyone be inside. Before Certo could answer, she froze time and entered into the back rooms. The main chamber was definitely larger than the ones of the other guardians; possibly due to the size of the residents who lived there. The only two chambers that were clean were the bed rooms for Volcanus and one, with less papers strewn about, for Titanus. The late guardian certainly had not been particular about keeping his studies organized. Crona began rummaging through the mess of scrolls and loose papers, skimming their contents; no sense wasting time if the material would not be helpful to their cause.

As she continued to look through the texts, Crona began finding notes from Volcanus's personal diaries; most of which had been torn from their bindings and crumpled on the floor. Her heart rate began to increase as she read the memoirs from the mangled sheets. Personal thoughts on her being in the city as well as hateful feelings towards Certo, plans to have him alienated and deported from the city, all eventually leading up to a desperate attempt to kill him in order to restore the fire dragon to his position as senior guardian. According to the notes, Volcanus was well aware that Certo would be in direct conflict with Nitrus and his family. But it was his disdain for Certo that drove him to be the guardian that he was.

"He knew the entire time." Crona muttered to herself, suddenly feeling numb. "But even still…" She shook her disgusted thoughts out of her head and continued her search. Hours would have passed before she was done. What little she found, she wrapped up within her notes inside the pouches Certo carried. Time resumed its course and Certo blinked as if waking up from a deep sleep.

"Did you find anything?" He asked, having a fairly good idea what she had been up to.

"What we can use I have on you already." Crona thrust her snout towards his pouches. "Come on, let's keep looking for more. Maybe there's something inside the main temple." Both youngsters continued on in silence as they trudged down the hill towards the central plaza. All the while Crona would continually make side glances at Certo. It really was not fair that he was feared and despised by so many; all over a single superstitious prophecy.

Upon reaching the temple of the guardians, Certo stopped by the water fountain and sat down. "I'm guessing I should wait here."

"No, you don't have to." Crona shook her head. "I think I'd prefer to have you inside with me."

The black dragon stared blankly for a moment before shrugging and following after her. Inside it was considerably warmer, and both dragons were thankful to be rid of the chill. Certo and Crona padded softly down the halls, Crona taking the lead and checking the chambers to see if anyone was around. Much to their surprise, the temple was empty.

"I'm not sure if that's a good sign or a bad one." Certo muttered, when Crona brought it to his attention.

"Well if it means we have a better chance of finding what we need without interruptions or me having to freeze time for extended amounts of time, then I will take the blessing where I can."

The couple finally came to Volcanus's private chamber which was much more cleanly in comparison to his living quarters. The walls were lined with neatly ordered book shelves, and two tables sat on each side of his reading pedestal; one for unread material, the other for finished work. This was where Crona started her search. The cushion was very comfortable, and she immediately relaxed into the fabric. Certo stood by and watched as she used her telekinesis to lift a book from the unread pile to bring it in front of her face. A movement to his side caused Certo to jolt slightly as he turned to see the dragoness's notebook, ink well and writing brush lift out of their carrying pouch. Crona's brush dipped itself into the ink and began to scribble on a fresh sheet of paper.

"I assume you found something?" Certo asked, taking a few steps towards the cushion. The chronicler did not answer; only continued to write. Certo sighed and grumbled to himself as he walked back to the doorway and lay down to rest. This would take several hours knowing her. He closed his eyes and drifted off into what was a light sleep at first, but soon became far deeper than that.

_All around, Certo could see nothing but dark clouds hanging over the horizon. He stood at the peak of a mountain, standing on the edge of a cliff that overlooked a vast plain stretching on for miles. The sounds of screams, bellows and cries for blood echoed from the battleground miles away. Dragons clashed with thousands of blood-lusting apes. The barbarians wielded larger, metallic weapons, and donned new armor made from forged metals, rather than their crude armor made from their surroundings. _

_ The dragon army was pushing the ape forces back, tearing the closest ones to pieces, and exterminating the others with their breath attacks. Four elder dragons led the assault, one ice, one fire, one lightning, one earth. All showed their age in their aggressive, yet highly skilled fighting styles. The combinations of the different elements were proving to be far too much for the apes as they scrambled to fight back and retreat at the same time. Towards the rear of the apes stood a towering baboon with a horned helmet and a missing eye, replaced with an eerie green gem. He wielded a staff with a similar gem embedded into its elaborate design. _

_ The ape king growled irritated and slammed the butt of his staff into the ground. A pulse of neon-green energy burst from the gem in the staff and swept over the land. As if being given an order, everything stopped and stood still. The sounds of violence, the fighting, the moving; everything stood as if frozen. All of a sudden the ground beneath Certo's feet began to shake. He tried to move but he was frozen in place, unable to retreat from what was coming. The mountain cracked and lava began to spurt from the open wound. Thick black smoke filled the sky, sending ash and embers to rain down on those below. Another violent tremor shook the mountain range and a pillar of molten rock burst skyward. _

_ From out of the blast she appeared; a towering black dragoness with wickedly curved horns raking back from her head. Metal braces latched onto her neck, ankles and tail, which were tipped in a hook-like blade. The dragoness let out a furious bellow, shaking the skies themselves. Her aqua green eyes leered down and seemed to lock onto Certo's. Never had he seen a creature so graceful looking, yet terrifying at the same time; and yet, so familiar. _

_ A low growl rumbled in the dragoness's throat and she swiveled her long neck towards the dragon army. Thunder burst from the back of her throat as a sonic roar ripped through the air. Down on the ground, the dragon army stood in shock. The impact from the sonic blast sent bodies and weapons tumbling across the hard ground and Certo let out an astonished gasp. It was his family's signature attack. _

_ "Certo," a voice seemed to call to him. The black dragon looked up to see the black dragoness staring back at him over her shoulder. "Come on Certo. Let's go."_

"What?"

"Certo I said let's go!" Crona's voice now coming from her mouth. "Wake up!"

"Hm?" The black dragon lifted his head and opened his eyes, looking rather groggy.

"I've been trying to wake you for five minutes." Crona grumbled, looking rather annoyed. "I have everything I need for now, so we can get going."

"Wh-what? Already? It's only been a few minutes."

Crona blinked once, then gave an irritated huff, cocking her head sideways. "Certo it's been over ten hours."

"What!" The world suddenly stopped and quickly Crona clamped a paw over his muzzle.

"Keep it down!" She hissed. "We're supposed to be keeping a low profile in here just in case."

"Why in the world didn't you wake me up?" He demanded, still keeping his voice low, despite no one being able to hear them.

Crona only shook her head. "It doesn't matter now. We have what we need. Now let's get going before someone finds us." She started past him, her notes already in neat order to review once she returned to her makeshift study. Certo watched her leave the chamber and looked back around the room. If there had been a mess, it certainly did not show. The young dragoness was doing a thorough job on making sure she made it look like the place had been untouched. The black dragon sighed and followed after her. Once outside and away from prying eyes, Crona released her hold on time, allowing them to breathe finally. Neither realized that they were barely breathing as they walked in between the few guards that patrolled the streets.

"So what now?" Certo asked, looking at the crescent moons in the sky. The two moons cast a cold blue glow across the city, and the reflected light from the clouds made him realize how cold it really was.

"I'm going to go review my notes and clean them up a bit." The dragoness announced, glancing back at her papers, carefully tucked into her harness. "You should probably get back and make sure Pip is still doing well. You don't want her to get too cold."

"Do you want any help though?" Certo asked looking as sincere as possible in the darkened alley.

"No, I don't think I need any." Crona almost chuckled out loud at his pointless offer. "But thanks for being considerate enough to ask."

"Then I'll walk you back at least. I don't want to chance anything happening to you…"

"Certo, stop worrying so much. I'll be fine." Crona waved a dismissive paw, ignoring the rather uncharacteristically pleading tone in his voice. "Go take care of Pip and I'll check back with you when I'm done."

Certo stood frozen for a moment, numb to any sort of feeling or emotion. After the initial stab of pain had passed, he bobbed his head and turned to walk away. Crona watched him leave, noticing the way his spines drooped and his tail dragged against the ground. All at once it donned on her what he had been wanting to do and her eyes widened in sudden realization.

"Certo wait!" She called once he had disappeared behind the first bend. She bounded after him and rounded to corner only to find an empty street. Crona squinted into the shadows, hoping to see a glimmer of moonlight reflecting off his glossy black scales, but he had vanished into the night. The white dragoness hung her head and turned to march in shame up the hill towards the library. "Good job Crona." She scolded herself. "He's willing to spend a few more precious minutes with you and now you are being the idiot."

She walked up to the main entrance of the library and paused to look up at the nearly finished reconstructed building. She could have all the knowledge in the world; in fact, all she really ever seemed to want, was to know the answers to life itself. "But what is life when you're alone." She muttered musingly. A feeling of self-loathing swept over her. Why did she get so absorbed into her reading? Why was it she held knowledge over friendship with someone she had never felt closer to in all her existences? Was it better that she start letting him go now so it would not hurt as much later? What a stupid thought. Even if it took all the time in the world she could never fully forget about him.

Crona looked down at her larger than average paws and drummed her talons on the ground. "Even when this body expires and I'm born again…" A sharp exhale escaped between her teeth. She turned around abruptly, ready to march herself down to the residence of the guardian of air, and curl up beside the black dragon. However, a subtle movement in the shadows stopped her in her tracks. The flash of moonlight against glossy scales and a mercury tail blade, before melting into the darkness between the buildings. The white dragoness stood frozen, shocked and almost dumbfounded by what she had seen. Then, a smile spread across her snout.

"Thank you." She whispered into the wind, hoping the entity would hear her. She waited another minute, feeling the breeze against her sides, before slipping inside, away from the cold.

Certo lay quietly beside Pip's egg, a bored and restless expression on his face. He had gotten little sleep the night before, partly due to the fear of seeing his nightmare again, as well as his extreme anxiety about Crona being alone.

The black dragon had been staring at the shell of his niece's egg, watching the patters of light from the lanterns dance off its shiny surface. He had not moved for a good three hours when Kia poked her head in, a bowl of dried meats and fruits cupped between her talons. She placed the bowl in front of the bed and eyed the young male curiously. Her burns from the battle were still healing, but now they were little more than a nuisance when moving.

"Something on your mind Certo?" She asked sincerely. It did not take much for anyone who knew, when the Black dragon was deeply troubled about something.

Certo did not respond right away. He continued to stare at Pip's shell before sighing again.

"If you don't wish to talk about it, I understand." The green dragoness stated thoughtfully. "But you know I am always here to talk to if you need someone." Kia turned to leave, but then Certo spoke.

"Crona's leaving."

The guardian stopped and turned to look over her shoulder. "Excuse me?"

Certo lifted his head but did not take his eyes away from Pip's egg. "I told her… I wanted her to go home…Where she'll be safe. So I'm trying to help her…find a way home." He turned to look up at Kia with a dejected expression. "But I don't know what I can do to help her. It's like she knows what all to do and I'm just useless to her."

Kia stood in shock at the news. For a moment her mouth hung open in dismay before she shook her head, blinking several times to wake herself up. "What? When did all of this come about? Leaving? What for?"

"We've been talking about it for some time." Certo murmured, laying his head down on his paws. "And after…this recent incident… I realized how much she needed to go home." Certo's eyes drifted back up the guardian who continued to stare in stupefied silence.

"I'm afraid I still don't quite understand the reason why she has to go home, Certo." Kia stammered. "You have been very secretive of what really goes on between you two…"

"And it's going to stay that way!" Certo interrupted, getting to his feet. "I made a promise to her!"

"Settle down right now." Kia shot back. "I'm not accusing you of anything; I'm just stating the fact. But even you can surely see where I, as well as my colleagues, am coming from when we say things like this."

"Like it wasn't any different, if not the other way around when I first arrived here." Kia was silent as she watched Certo leer up at her in an almost defensive manner. "She doesn't belong here." He continued. "She has a father who I'm sure is worried sick about her by this point. We're…just trying to figure out how to get her home safely."

"Why don't you just ask Captain Cytros to have a small guard escort her?"

"Because I don't want to." Certo growled. "Everyone is still recovering because of Titanus. I will be the one to escort her home. Or… at least as far as I can."

For several minutes neither dragon spoke. Kia could feel a lump swelling inside her chest as her heart bunched itself into knots. After overcoming the initial shock of the black dragon's news, she spoke up. "Have you told the others?" Certo cocked his head curiously. "Ampus, Terra, Nitrus… I believe they all have a right to know. They have been an incredible influence in the lives of you two. I think it would only be respectful if you allowed them to say their goodbyes."

Certo could only hang his head. The guardian was right, without a doubt. But how could he just tell them. There would be more questions to answer, none of which he could give the answers to. "I'll think about it." He replied, inciting a somewhat startled gasp from Kia.

The air dragoness gave a disapproving glare before getting to her feet. "Very well Certo, have it your way." She turned to leave. "But if it were Crona leaving without saying goodbye to you, how would you feel?"

The black dragon sat in silence, not caring to notice how much time had passed before he got to his feet. A wave of nausea swept over him as he stepped out into the cool midday air on the balcony. He felt sick to his stomach and sick in the head. How was he going to be able to tell others to be able to say their goodbyes when not even he was prepared for such a task. Even still, the guardian of air had brought up a crucial point. Without even thinking, Certo launched off the balcony and powered towards the home of the ice guardian. If he had to break the news to everyone, he would want it to be quick.

"Certo," Thundra nearly squeaked in surprise upon seeing the young male at their front entrance. "What a nice surprise to see you here. How is Pip? Is her egg doing well?"

"So far," Certo nodded. He glanced past the healer, half expecting to see Maya charging out to meet him. "Is Amp or anyone else home?"

"Not at the moment. Terra is helping in the library, and Amp and Nitrus are both at the temple with the other guardians."

"I see."

"They won't be back until this evening, so if you wish to come back, you're always welcome here."

"I understand." Certo nodded before turning to walk away.

"Certo." Thundra called after him. Her gentle, motherly tone seemed to stab at the young dragon's heart. "Is there something going on with you and Crona?"

Certo could not answer. He grit his teeth and ran as fast as his legs would carry him. He did not stop running until he reached the upper gardens of the city. There he ducked into the farthest corner away from the eyes of anyone who would happen to pass by, behind the pine tree he and Crona had slept beneath weeks before. Certo could not bring himself to cry. He had to be strong. He had let himself get too attached, and right now he hated himself for it.

"Stupid Crona." He growled, digging his claws into the soft earth. "It would have been easier if you hadn't followed after me that night." Certo breathed heavily, rustling the pine needles over head. "I never asked for friends. I never wanted any." He growled, softer this time; a tone of sorrow in his throat. The more his thoughts piled up in his mind, the more exhausted he became. Before long he had fallen asleep.

When Certo awoke, the sun had almost completely set. Nitrus and Amp would be home soon; hopefully. He got to his feet and stretched his limbs, wiping some water from his face. Had he been crying in his sleep? No, he never had before, so why would he start now. Even if he had been, he had dragons to walk to.

Thundra's home was fairly well lit as he approached from up the street. Inside, Amp had lit the numerous lanterns, providing ample light and warmth for that time of year.

"Are you alright?" Thundra asked as she invited him inside.

"I wish I were." He thought to himself. Once all the family had gathered in the central chamber, and Maya had taken her place beside him, nuzzling his shoulder affectionately, Certo sighed before speaking. "I really don't have any way of saying this easily. But… Crona is going to be leaving."

The family looked as if they had all been slapped. "Leaving?" Thundra gasped. "You mean as in she's going home?" Certo nodded.

"But why now of all times?" Terra asked. "Couldn't she have gone back at any time?"

"It's not that simple." Certo growled, immediately taking the defensive position to prevent any unneeded questioning. "She's been staying around because she felt that she could help do some good for this city." He looked up at Nitrus who looked more serious than concerned. "Would you agree?" The ice guardian nodded. "But after…this past incident. I've grown to realize that I… I can't have Crona stay here any longer. It's far too dangerous and things will only get worse from here on out."

"If extra protection is what you two need, then I don't think that will be feasible." Nitrus spoke up.

Certo fixed Nitrus with his crimson eye which began to glow, covering the chamber in a deep crimson light. "I'm not asking for anyone's help or approval to do what we are to help her get home. I'm just telling you so you have a chance to say goodbye." He hung his head and stared down at Maya who was beginning to doze off beside him. "You've been like family to her. Giving you a chance to say farewell is the least you deserve under short notice."

The room became silent for many minutes. Certo continued to stare at the floor. He could feel everyone's eyes on him. Thankfully no one had asked many questions which he was grateful for.

Amp was the first to speak. "When will she be leaving?"

Certo could only shake his head. "Unsure at this point. We're still trying to figure some things out."

"Is there anything we can do to help you both?" Thundra asked, shifting her paws and leaning forward thoughtfully.

Again, Certo shook his head. "No. We're… working in private."

"Don't you think having more helping you out would be more beneficial to you?" Terra asked with a raised brow. She personally did not know what to feel. She felt somewhat betrayed due to the shock of the news. She had not talked to either the black dragon or white dragoness since they had left to track down Titanus. And now she was expected to say goodbye to one of them without any sort of explanation.

Certo noticed the disapproving tone in her voice but chose to ignore it. "We have our reasons for working alone. I'm sorry. But I promise to let you know when we have a plan."

"You don't have any idea what you're going to do?" Nitrus growled, showing his surprise.

"We have an idea, but… if anyone knows Crona, she likes to think a lot. She's going over every possible idea on which is the safest way to get home."

"It sounds like you two have been thinking about this for some time now." Nitrus pointed out, narrowing his eyes at the young male. "What made you wait so long to mention it to anyone else?"

Certo stared back down at the floor. "I don't know. Maybe because I'm not ready to say goodbye either."

"I'd imagine so." Terra half scoffed. "For someone who doesn't like Crona the way they say they do that is."

"Terra, mind your manners." Thundra scolded. "This isn't any easier for him either I'm sure."

"Easy for you to say, mom!" Terra snapped. "He get's to see Crona far more than we do, and we're the ones who originally took her in." Her green eyes leveled with Certo's. "Both of you for that matter and this is how you treat us in return?"

"Terra!" Amp and Nitrus snarled but the ice dragoness would hear no more. She gave a curt turn, sweeping her tail out, just missing Certo's snout and stormed out of the room.

"I'm sorry." Thundra apologized, watching as her daughter disappeared behind her bedroom curtain.

"But she does have a point." Amp continued. "I do feel like we have been sort of given the short end of the stick here Certo."

"I'm aware. And I wish it didn't have to be that way. In all honesty, I do. But there's some things that need to stay secret. It's for the better."

"Better for who, Certo?" Amp squinted suspiciously at the older male. "You?"

"For all dragon kind, Ampus!" Certo was on his feet, teeth bared and scars flashing angrily. Amp's heart nearly burst from his chest in fright and he cringed, expecting an assault at any second.

"That is quite enough both of you." Thundra barked, gathering Maya up who had just been knocked over by Certo's sudden movement. The little yellow dragoness whimpered at having been woken so rudely and sidled up to her mother's foreleg. "Amp, Certo has acknowledged that he is being unfair, but he too has his share of unfairness to deal with, lest of course, you have forgotten." The guardian lowered his head in shame, unable to forget the injustices against the black dragon.

Thundra leaned down next to Certo and gave him a loving nuzzle. "Go on Certo. Help Crona as you need. But please, let us know when it's time for her to leave."

Certo would have smiled if he felt that he could have. Instead he nodded graciously and gave a slight bow as he had seen other dragons do out of respect. "Thank you." Thundra, Amp and Nitrus watched him leave, vanishing almost immediately into the dark streets.

After a moment of silence, Thundra turned to her mate. "What do you think?"

Nitrus could only stare blankly. "I don't know. I suppose that for the time being I will sit aside and see how this plays out."

"It may be for the best." Thundra sighed, taking the time to give her life mate a gentle kiss on the end of his snout. She gathered maya up off the floor and carried her to her room before putting her down for bed. As she stroked the youngling's back, Maya drifted off again and Thundra found herself shedding a tear. "It may be the best for all of us."

"I think we're ready to give this a try again." Crona announced almost too cheerfully. It was nearly a day after Certo met with the ice guardian and his family, and now Crona was ever more excited to test out her theories. Certo continued to remain silent as he followed her along to the farthest outskirts of the city. No sooner had they landed, when Crona immediately took up a seated position in a small clearing. "Alright Certo, are you ready?"

"For what?" He muttered coldly. "I'm just an observer. You're the one doing all the work."

Crona was quiet for a second before giving an amused chuckle. "I guess that's true. Alright then, stand back just in case."

"Way ahead of you." He muttered privately as he paced a couple yards away before lying down to watch in a cool cluster of grass.

As the times before, Crona closed her eyes and focused on the blue mist. Certo watched with an air of expectancy about him. It was not long before the blue mist had been gathered forming into a much larger ball of energy than before. The black dragon raised his head, genuinely amazed at how much stronger the dragoness had gotten in the past couple days.

All at once, the ball began to warp and deform before exploding in Crona's face. The black dragon shielded himself from the dirt and sticks flying through the air before seeing Crona picked herself up off the ground. An exasperated sigh escaped from his maw and he lay his head down again.

"Figured I'd try again." Crona spoke up, noticing the way the leaves rustled overhead. "Maybe now I can try and use some of my own active power to make this work."

"If you say so." Certo mumbled, still looking just as disinterested.

Crona ignored his remark and took in a deep breath. On instinct she filled her lungs with the blue mist, refreshing herself. She closed her eyes and began to concentrate.

"Just one thing Crona." Certo interrupted, throwing the dragoness off her mental balance. "How will you know it worked?"

"I'm only planning on moving forward by a little bit." The chronicler answered in an irritated tone. " At most I want to make it an hour, just to know I am doing the right thing."

"Just curious." Certo grumbled, laying his head back onto his paws.

When everything was silent again, Crona continued to concentrate. She could imagine herself, swelling with power, given to her by her grandfather. The power to pass through time and even control it was going to be her key to get home. 'To make a portal home, it should be enough to visualize where I'm going.' She thought to herself. Her brow furrowed as she forced herself to concentrate harder. 'Think! Think of where you want to go! Where you want to be!'

Off to the side, Certo watched anxiously, hoping that the dragoness would be able to make at least something happen. When she started concentrating even harder, he raised his head high on his long neck. A single spark had appeared before her. It was not much but enough to get his attention. Minutes later another spark appeared. Certo soon noticed that the dragoness was glowing in a soft white aura, like a cloud of snow was swirling around her. The sparks were gathering from around her body and converging on the spot where the first had appeared. The black dragon got to his feet, mouth hanging open in awe.

The cloud of white energy was growing larger, going from the size of a small ball to the size of a dragon's egg. It began to turn in a slow spiraling motion, as if the currents of wind were propelling it to do so. As it continued to enlarge, the intensity of its glow increased as well.

'I think she's got it.' Certo pondered, making sure not to speak aloud. However, Crona was beginning to reach her limit. She was beginning to turn red and blue in the face as she held her breath. The more she struggled the more the energy continued to dissipate. As soon as she could not take it any longer, the white dragoness let out a loud gasp, and the white cloud disappeared. Feeling dizzy, Crona flopped onto the pile of dead leaves at her feet. She was gasping heavily and her head rocked in small circles as if trying to balance itself on her neck.

"Are you alright?" The black dragon asked, taking a step towards her. Crona raised a paw to him stopping him in his tracks.

"I'm fine. I think I got a bit farther that time. So I'm pretty sure I'm on the right track."

"I'd say so." Certo nodded, showing a bit more enthusiasm than he had been for the past week. "Give it another try. Maybe you can get it this time."

Crona continued to gasp heavily, but managed a momentary smile at him. "Thanks for the encouragement. Once I catch my breath, I'll do that."

It was nearly half an hour before Crona felt rested enough to attempt using her active power again. As before she concentrated hard, her face scrunching up tight, looking as if she had smelled something fowl. However, despite her trying harder to summon up her own power, the results did little to vary from the first try. This time it took her an hour to recover enough to try again. And as the day dragged on, both dragons were finding themselves becoming more and more frustrated with the situation.

"How is it that you were able to accidentally send yourself back in time, but not forward?" Certo thought aloud on their late flight back to the city. "It just doesn't make any sense to me."

"Well I'm trying all that I can!" Crona snapped, not intending to sound as harsh as she did. "If you think you can do better, then by all means, be my guest."

"I'm just saying!" The black dragon shot back. "Unless there's a limit on how much magic you can use at once, I don't see why you're having such trouble with it." Crona gave Certo a heated glare. "I just thought it would be easier since…you're as powerful as you are… Seriously, you should have seen what you did when Neros had you captive. I… I just…" An agitated sigh rattled in his throat. "I just want you to get home safe! Is that too much to ask?"

Crona studied the intense expression on his face. She had been dragging him along, making him sit and watch her as she went about her business, not paying attention to him in the slightest. Not once had she asked his opinion on any of the methods she had come up with, nor had she informed him on what she was learning about specifically. "This is really killing you isn't it?" Certo looked up at her, a forlorn expression on his face. Crona frowned and sighed herself. "I'm sorry. I'm sure it must be hard for you, not being able to help out directly. It's just that… you know. You can't use magic like I can."

"Thank you for that obvious statement."

"But you know, just being there is more than anyone has ever done for me." Crona had to turn away, hoping to hide the blood rushing to her cheeks. "It's comforting; to me at least, to know you're still there even though you're not able to…" She cut her sentence short and glanced back at him. "But do you see what I'm saying."

"I do." Certo nodded honestly. "But it's just not enough for me Crona."

"Why not?"

The black dragon banked in front of the young chronicler, causing her to squeak in surprise "Because you're my friend! I want to help in any way I can, but at the same time, you're not from here! I'm trying to do my part to make sure the world is the way you remember when you get home!" He looked down at his own forearms and the scars that lined them. "I want to be part of the bigger picture… I just want to know that what I'm doing will make a difference in the end."

Crona hovered before him, trying to think of a way to put her friend's worries to rest. She admired his desire to help make a difference in the years to come, and adored him for his compassion for her; as cold and hard it usually came across. But even she did not know if she would be returning to a home she recognized, and the idea frightened her. Still, she felt confident that when she did return home, everything would be as she had left it. But simply telling the black dragon would not be enough for him. However, if someone else were to shed some light on the situation, he might at least calm down a little.

"Follow me." Crona said, brushing by him, almost in a inciting manner. "There's someone who might be able to help put your mind at ease."

Certo's heart rate spiked for a split second as she brushed by him. A chill ran up his spine, breaking him from his momentary trance and he followed after her. Crona continued leading him back to the city with a noticeable urgency in her wing beats. "Who are we seeing?" Certo called ahead. "Your grandfather?"

The idea had not crossed her mind until now. Was Certo able to see her grandfather? Probably not. Not even she knew for sure how she arrived at the palace before. "No," she replied. "But someone just about as reliable."

Certo cocked his head to the side. Was there another entity here that she knew? If so, then who?

Crona came to land in the central courtyard before the guardian's temple. The city was still settling down, despite having been dark for a some time now; lights were still on in many of the pavilions, and stragglers were escorted home from several of the night watch. "Hurry." Crona whispered, extending her tail towards Certo. The black dragon took the spade in his jaws, letting his teeth rest in the grooves made from their pact. Crona brought time to a halt and lead him inside the temple.

The couple of dragons slipped down the halls to the main conference chamber. As Crona had expected, the white dragon and city oracle, Sin, was sitting patiently on his crystal pedestal. Clearly he had been expecting them.

"We're alone." Sin spoke when he saw Certo glance around the chamber. His voice startled the black dragon whose jaw fell open, freezing himself in time. Crona glanced back at her friend and gave Sin a disapproving look. She let time resume its course and Certo gave a startled grunt.

"Y-you're a…"

"An entity like Crona, yes." Sin nodded. "Though I do not have the ability to travel through time as our young chronicler here. That has been a gift strictly reserved for her."

"I see." Certo stared at the oracle with widened, uncertain eyes before turning back to Crona. The dragoness continued to keep her eyes locked on Sin.

"So seeing that you're here Sin, I can assume you know why I'm here."

"Indeed." Sin nodded, his hollow eyes moving between the couple before settling on Certo. "Though it's rather unfortunate, the terms of your visit. I wish we had more time to talk before now Certo." The black dragon could not answer as he found himself dumbstruck being in the presence of not just one, but two entities whose knowledge and abilities surpassed any he had imagined.

"Come with me." Sin rose off his cushion and entered the hallways, leading towards the back of the temple. Here was a soft white curtain, covering a large doorway. Crystals outlined the entrance to Sin's private study and basking the hall in a delicate, white light. Sin held the curtain open for his two guests and followed after they ducked inside.

The oracle's chamber was very neatly kept. More crystals illuminated the room and only seemed to intensify their glow as soon as Crona entered the chamber. In the middle of the room was a pool of water, no more than a foot deep. Certo eyed it suspiciously whereas Crona immediately recognized it.

"A vision pool." She gasped almost silently.

Certo raised a skeptical brow. "What's that?"

"Certain dragons have...unique abilities Certo." Sin spoke up. "Like you can harness the powers of karma, or your twin with convexity. Although you two have gained your powers by accident, some dragons were born with the ability to see visions." Sin took a seat on the opposite side of the pool and looked at Crona, making her feel uncomfortable. "Chronicler dragons are known to possess this special ability."

"When you say by accident," Crona started, shrugging the discomfort away. "Do you mean Certo and Neros were randomly chosen to wield their powers?"

"I suppose that's the easiest way to look at it." Sin bobbed his head. He waved a paw over the water's surface and the fluid began to glow. The surface shimmered before a sense of hypnosis swept over Certo. His eyes were still looking at the water's surface but in his mind he could see forests, dark and withered scenery, closely resembling the territory the apes lived in. In the midst of a patch of underbrush, he could see Neros. The albino dragon stomped through the underbrush, smashing the brittle branches around him with his claws and tail. He was talking to himself but no words could be heard.

"Neros stumbled upon the power of convexity when he left your family." Sin narrated as the visions flooded Certo's mind. "His depression, hate, anger and sorrow reached their peak and manifested into a form of pure negative energy." Neros stopped, trembling with rage as tears trickled down his cheeks. In a whirl of motion, he turned and opened his jaws wide, intending to use the signature sonic blast that was customary to their family. Instead a blast of purple fire exploded from the back of his throat, engulfing the trees before him. The forest became petrified and Neros jolted back, looking shocked and terrified at what he had just done. His ruby-red eyes were glowing with negative energy, and wisps of convexity rose from the edges of his jaws. Certo watched as his twin unleashed another burst of purple flames, destroying more of the forest around him. He suddenly felt heat rising from his body as he watched the needless destruction continue; a smile spreading across Neros's muzzle.

"However," Sin interrupted. "Certo's power of karma may have been bestowed upon him because he is the exact opposite of his twin. Both share the same blood, but their hearts could not be more different than day and night. Neros possesses so much hate towards the world that his power of negative energy engulfs any opposing force alive."

"What is that supposed to mean?" Certo growled, not realizing his scars were blazing with angry karma.

"It means that Neros's karma has thrown the world off balance." Crona answered in a strict tone, hoping it would get her friend to calm down. "The magic of this world is positive energy, convexity is negative."

"And you, Certo, are the bridge between them." Sin pointed out. "As I'm sure Crona has told you, this world is based around the bigger picture and the balance of power. Because Neros possesses so much negativity, he overpowers the positive energy of our world. Thus, forcing you to dwell on positive emotions to harness your karma properly."

"Wait," Crona raised a paw, silencing the oracle. "Are you saying that if the positive energy outweighed the negative, Certo would have to turn to his negative karma?"

Sin nodded. "Balance is the way of the world Crona."

A chill ran up the dragoness's spine as she thought about that statement. The memory of what Certo's negative karma had almost done to him would most likely haunt her for the eternity.

"That being said," Sin continued. "Neros has started a spiraling burst of bad karma throughout the world. The uprising of species will bring the strong together and the wicked to destroy one another. Crona, you know what will become of the apes one day. But as far as everyone else, that will be determined by the legendary ones."

"The legendary ones?" Certo raised a brow as he waited for more visions to fill his mind. After a momentary pause, Sin frowned as he looked into the pool.

"You've had a vision yourself Certo." His brow furrowed as he concentrated on the water's surface. "A black dragoness, attacking the dragon army, fighting on the side of the apes." Certo was silent, keeping himself as composed as possible. Sin reached out over the water's surface and let his claws tap the surface. The water rippled and a ringing noise filled the room. The sight of the black dragoness appeared in the glowing pool and Certo's limbs locked up in defense.

"Cynder." Crona gasped, astonished at the sight before her. The black dragoness swooped down on the guardians, surprising Ignitus and the others in their regiment. She remembered hearing of this incident from the council in her home city.

"Does she look familiar?" Sin asked the black dragon, as the vision played out before them. Certo remained stiff as a board. All of a sudden, the black dragoness opened her jaws wide as a sonic roar burst from her throat. Certo's eyes widened in horror.

"No way… That's… not possible."

"Your descendants, Certo, will fight in this war to come. And Cynder, your many generations great niece will be the one to bring dragon-kind to its near downfall. Because she is corrupted by the Dark Master, she will lay waste to everything, everywhere."

Certo could not bring himself to deny the oracle's words. He could see what was happening right in front of him. Had he not known Crona and who she really was, he would have never believed the images flashing through his mind. Yet something still seemed off to him.

"Wait, isn't the world supposed to end though? I thought Crona survived it!"

"The world does come to an end Certo. It's all thanks to your family and your descendants that this comes about." The white dragon looked away and back at the pool. "At this point, Crona has a chance to return to the world she knows. But ultimately that all depends on you."

"Depends on me?" Certo recoiled and curled his lips.

Before he could verbally pounce on the oracle, Crona spoke up. "Sin, do you see anything in Certo's future? Is there a choice he has to make in order for all of this to right itself?"

Sin closed his eyes as he listened to the whispers of time speak to him. After a moment he frowned and shook his head. "I'm sorry. But I cannot see Certo's future."

"What? Why?" Crona gasped in shock that he would even answer with something so outrageous.

"I cannot say." Sin sighed. "I have never been unable to see the future of any individual before."

"What in blue blazes does that mean?" Certo demanded. "So just because I have no future I'm just made even more inferior? What am I supposed to do to help Crona get back to her world? I can't help her in any way that would be considered useful! And I'm pretty sure you know that! I'm useless to her! As far as anyone is concerned I am of no help what so ever!"

"Certo that's not true!" Crona protested, seeing that the oracle's words were getting to him.

"It's pointless Crona! Nothing I do will stop what's going to happen! Nothing I do will help make it better!"

"There's nothing you can do to make the war better Certo." Sin murmured. The eerie tone in his voice settled in the black dragon's heart, putting him in a state of great discomfort. "But you can help Crona. Just do as you have always done until now."

"What good is that going to do?" Certo snorted, sending a gust to disturb the pool of visions. "All I ever do is sit and watch as Crona fails, over and over to get her powers working again!" Crona felt a pang of guilt in her heart, but knew he was right. She had made steps towards finding a way home, but they had been baby steps taken by a newborn hatchling learning to walk.

"Certo I'll find a way to get home." Crona spoke up, extending a paw to rest it on his shoulder. "We've already made progress today; we just need to keep at it."

"What good is that going to do if you only return to a world that's not your own?" Certo shouted suddenly, startling the white dragoness. "It's because of my family that all of this is going to happen! And my niece and descendants are all going to suffer and die unless I put an end to it all!"

Crona wanted to protest but Certo stormed out of the oracle's chamber. The young chronicler watched him go for a moment before turning a heated glare back on Sin. "Great work. I brought him here, hoping you'd give him comfort in knowing everything would be alright in the end. But I should have known you would only make him feel worse than he already does."

"I know what you want for Certo, and I'm sorry I had to make things worse for him." Sin apologized in a monotone voice.

"You had to?" Crona hissed. "What good will it do him? What was the point?"

Sin lay down and crossed his paws and fixed the dragoness with his snowy eyes. "Come now Crona. Have you been so preoccupied with yourself that you've failed to notice that Certo is slowly losing hope? For himself as well as the future? For the past months you two have relied on each other so closely, you've practically become soul mates in your own right. But because this is an area of expertise that only you can handle, he feels like he's falling farther and farther away from you.

Crona 's talons dug into the floor angrily. "Well in case you haven't noticed, Oracle, we are going to have to part ways soon enough. He's been trying to separate his feelings from me ever since we got back to the city. I can't say I like it, but I understand where he's coming from."

"That's beyond the point Crona. Irrelevant in regards to the big picture here. He needs this extra motivation. If you wish to return to the time you remember, he needs to be even more motivated than he is now."

"Isn't he motivated enough? He's been there every step of the way, trying when he knows he can't do anything to help me master this ability! How else could he be more motivated?"

Sin sighed. "You'll understand once you return home."

"So I will return home?" Crona raised a skeptical brow, expecting another riddle to slither its way from his mouth.

The white dragon nodded. "That you will…but if you wish to return to a time you remember, I would strongly advise you go stop Certo right this minute. Before he destroys his lineage and upsets the balance of the world."

"Wait, what do you mean destroy his lineage?" Crona demanded. A split second later, the realization hit her like a bolt of lightning. "Pip!" The dragoness turned and bolted out of the oracle's private chamber. She charged out into the cold night, searching frantically for Certo, hoping he was still within sight of the main temple. When she did not spot him, she concentrated all her time control ability, bringing everything to a dead halt.

Not wasting a single beat of her heart, she took to the air, beating her wings as fast and hard as she could. In only what would have been minutes, she arrived at the residence of the air guardian. The black dragon was already there, looming over Pip's egg, his tail blade raised high, preparing to shatter the shell into pieces.

"Certo no!" She screamed, as she landed on the balcony and launched herself forward. Time resumed its course and the chronicler plowed into the black dragon. A loud crash shook the house as the two slammed into a book shelf, bringing it down on top of them. Certo was in a desperate fury, his scars and eyes blazing with karma. He kicked and struggled to get up from under the book case but Crona pinned him down.

"Get off of me! Let me go!" He bellowed, his voice rattling the walls.

"What is going on in there?" Kia's angry voice hollered from the back room.

Crona ignored the guardian and pressed harder on top of her friend. "Certo stop what you're doing! You're not thinking clearly!"

"I won't let my family suffer any more!" Certo snarled. "She doesn't deserve it! She's innocent!"

"Crona! Certo! What has gotten into you two?" Kia demanded, bursting through the doorway.

"In a moment!" Crona shot back, before returning her eyes to Certo. "Killing Pip won't help anyone, or put your conscience at ease!"

"I won't let her be born into a world where nothing but suffering awaits her! I won't let it happen!"

"You're not her family! It's not your choice to make!"

Crona recalled as if she had been slapped. Seeing his opportunity, Certo moved to get up from under her. Before he could shove her away, Crona bit down on his shoulder. An agonized cry ripped from Certo's lungs and the taste of mercury filled Crona's mouth. She squeezed her eyes shut, trying to drown out her friend's cries as she bit harder.

"Crona! What are you doing?" Kia shouted, moving to step in.

At last. Crona could not take it anymore and she released her jaws from Certo. The black dragon rolled over, groaning in pain, but calmer than he was before. Under normal circumstances, she would have taken this time to severely scold him, but right now he needed comfort. The white dragoness lay down on top of him, her soft underbelly rubbing against his sides. "Get a hold of yourself Certo. This isn't the way to handle this." She stopped time for a brief moment. "I know how you must be feeling, but if you kill your niece, I won't be able to return to my home."

Certo lifted his head against the burning in his neck. When his eyes locked with Crona's, he realized what she was referring to. He glanced back at the egg, untouched, before collapsing onto his side again. "Why me?" He whispered. "What did I do?"

Crona allowed time to resume and cooed soft whispers to him, nuzzling his arm next to her bite mark.

"Would you care to inform me on what in the ancestors names is going on?" Kia asked impatiently waiting for an answer to why her home was being turned into a war-zone.

Crona got up off her friend and stared down at him. She was not fully certain she wanted to leave him alone with his niece if she wished to talk to the guardian in private. But she also knew him well enough know that she did not have to sugar coat anything with him. "As of late, Certo has been worried about what's going to happen to me once I leave here." The reminder of this seemed to cause Kia to tense up, but remain silent. "It was my idea, that Sin being able to see into the future, would be able to tell him that everything would be fine."

"And you did not receive what you expected, did you?"

"I should have known." Crona shook her head solemnly. "I just wanted to make Certo believe that there would be a moderately happy ending after all of this… but instead…"

"He said my descendants are going to be the ones who suffer and eventually destroy the world!" Certo growled, glaring at Pip's egg.

Kia felt a pang of guilt in her heart. However, it was not unlike Sin to deliver disturbing news to those who paid him a visit. After a long silence, she picked up the fallen shelf and propped it against the wall. "I'm sorry, and I wish I could tell you something to make it easier on you Certo. But the truth is; I cannot recall when Sin has ever been off with his predictions."

"That's exactly what I hate." Certo's voice began to warp from his karma. "I know he's right. I just don't want him to be."

"You know, we all know all too well." Kia shook her head. "But what can you do? We're not celestial beings. We don't have the ability to change the past or the future. If that was the case then the balance of the world would be thrown off entirely."

Certo lifted his head to look at the air dragoness. Was she one of them too? He glanced at Crona who seemed to be reading his thoughts. She shook her head, and Certo lowered his gaze to his niece's egg. Another silence passed before he spoke again. "Crona…Let's just get you home."

"I can go along with that." She nodded.

"It's already late you two." Kia pointed out in a scolding, motherly tone. "Clean up this mess and get some rest. Do I make myself clear?"

"Yes, Master Kia," both dragons mumbled.

The guardian nodded and yawned before leaving the two of them in peace. Seeing as he was already exhausted mentally and emotionally, Crona ordered Certo to settle down and keep Pip warm. The black dragon did not have the energy to argue and watched as Crona used her powers to levitate the books and scrolls back onto the shelves. Crona was making a last minute clean up around the room before settling down when she spotted a white figure out on the balcony.

"I'm glad to see you got to him in time."

"Yeah, lucky you." Crona nearly spat as Sin entered the room. She did not bother asking how he had gotten up there without the ability to fly. All she could assume was that he had his own active power other than his clairvoyance. "What are you here for?"

"To deliver a final message."

Crona glanced down to see Certo had fallen fast asleep. She moved closer to Sin and lowered her voice. "Alright, make it snappy. I don't want Certo waking up and getting even more upset because you're here."

Sin nodded in understanding. "This will be the last time we speak Crona. At least for another thousand years. As oracle, I have done my part to ensure that you make it home safe and our world remains stable." He glanced down at Certo. "And now that his destiny is nearly fulfilled, his future is out of my control."

"Your control? What do you mean? Are you saying that you have been manipulating Certo this entire time?"

"No. I mean that when I have shown up it was when things may have gone sour in our favor as chronicler dragons and the world would have been thrown into turmoil. Certo will give you the push to succeed in getting home and after that he will have only one more thing to do to ensure the safety of our home."

Crona glared at him suspiciously. "And what is that?"

The oracle could only shake his head yet again. "I cannot reveal that. It will be Certo who acts on it. But I trust he will do what is necessary."

"Are you kidding me?" Crona hissed through clenched teeth, but Sin held up a silencing paw.

"Before you say anything more Crona, let me leave you with this. As I said, Certo's future is no longer my concern."

"What?"

"When I said I could not see his future, it is because it is in the possession of another chronicler dragon. His future… now lies with you." Crona cocked her head, curious to the meaning of his comment. Certo stirred in his sleep and she glanced back over her shoulder to see if he would awaken. When he did not, she looked back to see the oracle had disappeared. Rolling her eyes she turned and stepped lightly into the nest of sheets. Certo mumbled gibberish in his sleep as she cuddled next to him, draping a comforting wing over his back. Before long, she too was sound asleep.

Sin's words continued to run through Crona's mind for the next three days as she continued trying to strengthen her active power. But each time she started creating a small portal, her thoughts would interrupt her concentration, forcing her to start over once again.

"Something's on your mind." Certo pointed out at the beginning of the fourth day. "You haven't been as deep into your concentration as you usually are."

"I'm just stressed." Crona replied as they came to land in their practice spot.

"About what your friend told me?"

"Sin is hardly what I'd consider a friend, Certo. Even when you're a jerk I don't think you get under my scales as much as he does." She gazed at him standing in a small patch of early morning sunlight, breaking through the trees. His scales seemed to glisten with the colors of the rainbow, reminding her of how majestic he really was. However the longer she stared, the more she began to despair. A sigh escaped her and she turned away from him. 'His future lies with me…' she repeated in her mind. 'Does that mean… I don't have to leave him?' She glanced back at him as he waited patiently for her to begin again for the day. 'I guess it would be worth asking him…'

Crona turned to face the young male, standing as composed and elegant as she could. She inhaled a deep breath as she prepared to ask him the question. However, the words did not come from her mouth. How could she convince him to come with her if he refused right away? Was it even right to ask him to leave this time when he may be needed? What if he was needed and by asking him to come with her, only messed up the future?

"Crona?" The dragoness snapped out of her trance to see her friend giving her a perplexed stare.

"S-sorry." She stammered sheepishly. "I was thinking of saying something but, never mind."

Certo rolled his eyes. "It can wait until later. Right now you have work to do."

"R-right." Crona nodded and turned back around, trying to settle her nerves and racing heart. She closed her eyes and concentrated.

Two hours passed with no success and Crona was beginning to grow overly frustrated. Finally in the late afternoon, she let out an infuriated shriek, startling Certo who was beginning to nod off in the shade of a tall oak.

"Damn the ancestors! Why can't I make this work?" She stamped the ground, sending a spark of blue mist into the air and scattering the leaves about. "I try and try and try, but nothing ever comes out of it!" She heard Certo rise to his feet but she could not bring herself to face him. Somehow she felt his eyes on her; especially his crimson eye which always seemed to be staring into her soul. "I'm a failure Certo! I don't see why I can't do this on my own! I'm the daughter of the Chronicler! Mastering time should come naturally to me!... So why hasn't it? I've tried using different types of magic, I've tried calming myself more than I normally do. I've relaxed, and I've tried listening to the world around me."

Another stamp of her paw shook the ground this time. She turned around, knowing that he had approached her and buried her head into his scarred chest scales.

"I'm sorry." She whispered. "I just don't know what else to do."

The sounds of the forest slowly seemed to return to her ears. The soft chirps of birds and buzzing of insects tickled her senses. Then came the sound of a heart beat; Certo's heart beat. It had been weeks possibly even months since she had listened to it. The strong thumping against his chest seemed to sooth her temper and she sighed, taking in a bit of the blue mist to refresh herself.

"I don't think it's so much what you're doing Crona," Certo started. "But maybe how much of it you're doing."

The white dragoness stepped back and looked up at him, studying his expression. "What are you getting at?"

"Well, think about it. You're always saying that the world needs to be balanced. The good, the bad, the other. It all has to even out. So maybe your power isn't working; not because of just one force, but because you lack balance in what you're trying to accomplish."

Crona stared at the black dragon with wide eyes and an open jaw. She could not believe how obvious the problem was and who, of all dragons in the world, had brought it to her attention. She frowned and gave him a glare before putting on a mild pouty face. "I hate you sometimes, you know that?"

Certo was surprised at first but cracked half of a smile before growling in satisfaction. He lifted his head to the sky as the sun began to set. "It's getting late. Why don't we call it quits for today and try again tomorrow?"

"No way! Now that you've brought this to my attention, I want to give it a shot." Crona nearly barked with excitement. She backed away from Certo and positioned herself, sucking in a deep fulfilling breath of the blue mist. When she exhaled, the leaves surrounding her swirled into a gentle breeze. Certo moved back and watched as Crona delved deeper into her concentration state, summoning the power within herself as well as the world around her. A burning feeling began to rise in her chest and Certo noticed that the green gem on her breastplate was now glowing brightly.

A cloud of white emanated from Crona's body as the blue mist became visible to the naked eye. The two energies danced around each other, circling the white dragoness, nearly covering her in a protective blanket. The gem in the plate grew brighter as the magical powers melted together. Crona inhaled, drawing the energy within herself, then exhaled, pushing the magic away from her. The sharp gust nearly knocked her backwards but she held her position. Certo's eyes widened as the portal appeared before him, spinning like a slow-moving wheel, suspended in the air. Unlike before, it was large enough to fit a dragon three times Crona's size; a perfect fit for her.

At last Crona dared to open her eyes. The light given off by the portal was cool, yet inviting. She wanted to reach out to it but restrained herself for the time being. Gradually she relinquished her hold on the magic around her, letting them return to their natural state. After another sigh of relief she looked over at her companion. "I did it." She whispered. Certo was too dumbstruck to say anything. "I did it!" Crona cried, jumping to her feet.

"You did it…" Certo managed to finally utter.

"I can't believe it! I actually did it!" She cheered. In a moment of extreme joy she threw herself at Certo, laughing. The black dragon could not help but chuckle awkwardly before suddenly being tackled to the ground. "I did it!" Crona repeated. "And I have you to thank for it!" She hugged him closer, giggling like an excited hatchling.

"Crona!"

The white dragoness stopped. Her eyes bulged and her face burned as she jerked away, dropping him in the process. "I…I'm sorry." She apologized. "I just…"

"It's… okay." Certo murmured, getting to his feet. He wrapped one of his wings around her body and nuzzled her cheek. "We can finally get you home. That's all that matters."

"Yeah..." Crona mumbled. The oracle's words ran through her head again as she thought back to what she almost did. "That's all that matters."

"I think that's enough for now." Certo murmured as he rose to his feet. Four hours had passed by rather quickly as he watched Crona continually practice creating time portals. He was content with returning to the city after the first one, but the chronicler was insistent about making sure she knew what was required in order to successfully create one. Now she was nearly depleted of her power and staggering around like a hatchling on their first day of walking.

"Just… one more time." Crona begged sleepily. "…Just to be sure." Without waiting for an answer she sat down and closed her eyes to concentrate. But instead she began to nod off into a light slumber. Right before she could fully fall asleep, a pair of forelimbs slid under hers from behind. Certo pressed his body against her back, forcing her to lean forward. Crona's eyes suddenly snapped wide open and she squirmed, trying to get away. "Certo! What are you doing?"

"That's enough for now." He answered in a surprisingly calm tone, unlike anything she had heard before. "We can keep practicing tomorrow once you've gotten some food and rest in."

Blood rushed to Crona's face and her speed up awkwardly again. What was he holding her like this for? Part of her wanted to know, but at the same time she was too exhausted to push him away. Should she just lay there and let him do what she thought he was? She felt him move up, placing his hips over hers and intertwine their hind legs. All the while, Crona's heart continued to pound like a drum. Once locked in place, Certo spread his wings and with a sharp cold gust from his lungs, lifted into the cold night sky.

Once airborne, Crona felt a bit embarrassed by where her thoughts had led her just moments ago. Not a chance in the universe would Certo do something like that. Feeling her fatigue rise up again, she closed her eyes and tucked her forelimbs against her chest. At the same time she felt the black dragon's long grasping claws holding her tight. The feeling made her feel safe and she cooed softly as she drifting off.

Certo glanced down when he felt the pleasant vibrations from her chest against his paws. Sensing her start to go limp put his mind at ease and made his own heart begin to settle down as well. A cold breeze rushed against him and Crona whimpered lowly in her sleep. Certo lowered himself closer to the ground, hpping to catch any tiny thermals still lingering after the sun had set hours ago. Not long after the chilly rush of wind had passed, and a small object caught the black dragon's eye overhead. In the gentle glow of the twin moons, Certo could see the faintest sparkles of ice against the light. It was beginning to snow; the first of the season.

Seeing the white fall from the sky reminded him of days past and he forced those memories out of his head. Now was not the time for him to be thinking about the past. But as he continued flying back to the city, he could see the snow quickly clumping together on the trees and forest floor below. The first snow, as he had come to observe, was always the purest. It was refreshing to see it shining a light blue hue rather than a grey or brown as the snow would soon grow to be later in the winter.

A sigh filled the air and he could see his breath lingering there. He had not realized how cold he was until now. Without further delay, Certo pushed himself faster towards the city, hoping to warm up by the time he got there. When it came into view, he nudged Crona's neck, thinking he would rouse her. When she did not wake, he gave her gentle nip on the side of her neck. He was answered with a tired groan and a sleepy Crona glanced back up at him.

"What is it?" She asked groggily before yawning.

"We're back." He reported. Crona blinked as she looked ahead to see the dim lanterns of the city up ahead. "Want me to let you go?" Certo asked after a moment of silence between them.

Crona thought privately, subtly flexing her talons against the backs of his paws. She liked the close contact for some reason and did not wish to relinquish it just yet. "Not yet." She whispered, shrugging her shoulders and pulling closer to him. Certo only nodded, keeping the calm steadfast expression on his face. As they shot over the outer wall, he noticed that there were fewer centuries on duty than usual. He took a mental note of it and felt like investigating the reason after dropping Crona off.

The library was surprisingly brightly lit from the inside. Certo came to a landing just outside the stream of light the front entrance cast into the icy streets. Crona set down and gave a jump at the chill beneath her paws. She never did like the chill of the snow; not after Dante's Freezer.

"Thanks for the lift." Crona teased, smiling gently up at her companion. "I'll see you in the morning?"

Certo merely nodded. "That's the plan."

"Alright, I'll see you then." She turned towards the front entrance, averting her eyes slightly to avoid the blinding light. As Certo watched her walk away he began to feel knots tie themselves up inside his chest.

"Crona!"

The dragoness turned around as he surprisingly enough, rushed over to her. She gave a startled squeak when he leaned his head down and nuzzled her cheek; almost every bit the affectionate gesture that others would find it to be. It was like he was taking his last chance to say goodbye to her right now. When he pulled away, he looked as if he were desperate for her to stay. Crona bit her lower lip and tried to keep her tears from glossing her eyes.

"I'm going to miss you." Certo choked.

"Me too." Crona murmured. She stepped close and hung her head against his chest. "I don't want to leave you behind. I care about you too much." Certo could not bring himself to reject her. He simply lowered his head to rest it on top of hers and closed his eyes, ignoring the light from the library. After a minute however, Crona pulled away and looked into his eyes. "I wanted to ask you before, but wasn't sure if it was the right time-" she focused her eyes at the scars across his chest and inhaled deeply. "Would you…"

"Surprise!" The sudden thunder of voices nearly caused both dragons to jump out of their scales. Crona whirled around to see the central chamber of the library filled with dragons. Nitrus and his family, as well as Kia stood with Amp, Terra and Maya with warming smiles on their faces. Stratus stood beside Verona who remained close to Nitrus and several of the other dragon guards. Members from their class wore excited grins; even Ulu, Vixen, Katana, Kris and Sabre.

"W-what is going on here? Crona stammered, subconsciously backing into Certo.

"Isn't it obvious?" Terra asked stepping forward. "It's a going away party for you."

Crona stood dumbfounded at the number of dragons who had shown up, and at such a late hour. "F-for me? Why? How did you know?"

"Certo told us." Nitrus answered, stepping forward. "And because you've been such a positive influence on our city as well as our lives, we wanted to wish you a warm farewell."

"I… I don't know what to say..." Crona gasped, staring at the floor in shock. "No one has ever done something like this for me before."

"'Thank you' would be a good place to start." Vixen chuckled.

"Besides," Stratus piped up as he walked over to her. "If that is the case, then there's no time like the present to celebrate you as a friend. Am I right my dear?"

Crona looked up into his eyes. After the initial shock left her body she smiled and bowed graciously. "Thank you all. This is very kind of you."

"Come on." Terra coaxed, putting her wing around the white dragoness. "We all have to get a little time with you so better start making your rounds."

"Uh, sure." Crona chuckled nervously, hiding a yawn.

Vixen seemed to notice and giggled before leaning close to whisper in her ear. "Been out late again I hear. And you said there's nothing going on between you and Certo."

The white dragoness only rolled her eyes. She was too tired to argue with anyone tonight. Behind her, Certo watched her mingle amongst Stratus and the others. He had felt a surge of embarrassment but it had now turned to sadness as he watched her from afar. The crowd was so focused on the young dragoness, they did not notice him; no one except Sabre. The ice dragoness watched him slip away into the darkness of the night before breaking away from her friends to follow after him. She stopped to gaze in wonder at the falling snow flakes. The sight of them seemed to relax her, feeling herself come into her element.

Certo slipped through the moonlit streets until he reached the academy grounds. The remains had all been moved leaving a clean courtyard with a crater where the main tower had once stood. He walked to the edge of the cliff that overlooked the vast landscape and stared off into the distance. His breath came in short wisps in the cold night air and the snow flakes seemed to chill him even more. After a moment of discomfort, Certo flexed his muscles, summoning his karma to the surface. Almost immediately he felt warmer, if only slightly.

"Are you alright?" Sabre asked, grabbing his attention. "I can only imagine how you're feeling right now."

Certo didn't respond. Sabre summoned up her courage to sit down close beside him. A long tense silence passed with neither dragon speaking a word.

"Are you going with Crona when she leaves?" Sabre asked without turning to look at him.

Certo only gave a distressed growl. "I'll only be escorting her as far as I can go. But I won't be staying with her."

"Oh," Sabre lifted her head to see the sadness welling up in his blue eye. "You really care for her don't you?" Certo lowered his gaze but said nothing. Sabre nodded and looked back at her own paws. "You know. I… I just want you to know… I don't intend on coming between you two… Not anymore." Silence. "But in case you should ever change your mind… or need a friend to be with. I'll always be waiting for you." Sabre lifted her gaze up to him, but Certo only continued to stare out at the landscape. "We may not be together Certo. But I still love you."

Another silence passed before Certo's blue eye moved to fix itself on her. "Thanks."

Just hearing him acknowledge her words was enough to make Sabre smile. She draped a wing around him, feeling the warmth from his karma send tingles through her body. It must have been so nice for Crona to feel this sensation every night they were together. She still envied the white dragoness, but this would do for now.

The two sat in silence for a little over an hour before Certo felt the young dragoness start to nod off on his shoulder. Her head slipped slightly and she jolted awake, blinking to wake herself up. Without a word, Certo rose to his feet and gave a short thrust of his head over his shoulder. Taking the hint, Sabre sighed, not wanting to have the moment end. Both dragons stepped carefully down the hill as the street was already sleek with ice. Sabre found it easier to grip the ground with her longer talons but Certo found himself stepping attentively so as not to slip and fall.

Back at the library everyone was still conversing not even noticing that the two had been away. Sabre nuzzled Certo before breaking off to track down Vixen. Cytros and the guards who had been there earlier were now gone, having switched positions with the current sentries who had been on duty. Certo scanned the crowd, looking for the white dragoness to stand out from the rest of them as she usually did. When he could not spot her he moved to seek out Amp and Terra who were standing patiently beside Nitrus and Thundra. Maya was curled up in a tight ball between her mother's shoulder blades, sleeping soundly, despite all the noise in the room.

"Has anyone seen Crona?" He asked, hoping he could hide the hint of worry in his voice. Almost immediately Terra turned her nose up and looked away from him; still mad that he had not told them about Crona's leaving sooner. Amp as well could only look away though mostly in disappointment rather than anger.

Seeing as the two of them were not going to answer, Thundra frowned. "She's in her makeshift study Certo. She's exhausted for some reason so I sent her to bed a short while ago."

Certo bobbed his head once. "She has been working hard." He murmured, almost to the point where the family could barely hear him. "I probably have no right to ask, but are you all doing well enough? I mean having to say goodbye to her?"

"It has definitely been a bit of a shock." Nitrus spoke up, surprising the young male. He had expected the guardian to remain cold and silent towards him as he normally was. "But we are at least glad we even had a chance to say goodbye."

Certo lowered his eyes to Amp and Terra who continued to look away. "I'm sorry. I…"

"Just save it Certo." Terra snapped. "We don't want any of your pitiful excuses. Just do what you have to and be done with it already."

"Terra!" Thundra scolded sharply. Her sudden jolt roused Maya slightly who whimpered in response.

"It's fine." Certo shook his head. "I deserve it."

"That's the least you deserve." Terra nearly spat and stomped off out of the library, hastily heading towards home. Amp watched her go before looking back at Certo with a saddened expression on his face.

"I'm sorry." Then without another word he slipped away into the night after his fiance. Thundra, Nitrus and Certo watched him go before the healer turned hack to the young male.

"I apologize for their behavior."

"Don't." Nitrus interrupted. "Certo knows he is at fault in this situation. No need to make it easier on him."

"I should get going myself." Certo piped up, feeling a lump swelling inside his chest. "We will probably have more work to do in the morning."

"Are you getting close to finding a route to get her home safely?" Nitrus asked, narrowing his eyes at the young dragon.

"Very," Certo confirmed. Nitrus and Thundra shared a quick glance before nodding in understanding. "Very well then. We will allow you to get some rest. And thank you for taking care of her." Certo cocked his head slightly, curious about the nature of the guardian's strange words. Never before had he heard Nitrus speak to him in such a manner. Sensing his confusion, the ice dragon continued to explain. "You are flawed Certo, in many ways. But you shine in the area where many others fall short. Don't forget that."

Nitrus did not need to be specific; Certo knew what he was referring to, as bitter-sweet as it was. The black dragon gave a grateful bow before turning away for the night.

Inside Crona's make-shift study, Verona was finishing putting the young dragoness's notes away and hanging her scroll harness up. She smiled when she saw him in the doorway and lifted a talon for him to keep silent. Certo only stared at the dragoness for a long minute before looking back up at Verona. He bobbed his head slightly, a gesture of saying thank you. The librarian responded with a gentle smile. However, as she watched him leave, he seemed to almost fade away, as if he were transparent. Verona blinked, shaking her head as if waking from a dream. The black dragon was gone, meshing in with the bodies that remained inside the library's central chamber. The sight had left her with a chill that lingered on her spine. Her thoughts drifted back to her late grandfather, Annol. It felt as if the black dragon displayed the same calm, accepting aura the former head librarian had when his time had come. Verona shook those thoughts from her mind. Certo was far too young to be exhibiting such an attitude. However, she knew him well enough to know that it was possible for him.

"I only hope I'm wrong."

The next morning was cold. There was no other word to describe it as Certo shivered himself awake. Kia had brought out several extra blankets and had even put a thick leather flap up to cover the entrance to the balcony. But the tiny wisps of icy air managed to slip through, brushing against Certo's exposed areas. Once he could not take the chill any longer, Certo forced himself to stay awake, allowing karma to warm his bedding and Pip, who was tucked closely to his heart.

Outside the city was still mostly asleep. Many of the guests who had shown up to Crona's farewell celebration would be sleeping in later than usual today. The sky was still covered in thick clouds, casting a grey light across the city and beyond. The snow had stopped falling but the streets were now covered in ice and snow had gathered on the rooftops of the pavilions, accumulating a good four inches.

Certo lay silently, listening for the soft sounds of the morning to come in through the blocked entrance of the balcony. The only sounds he could hear were the muffled voices of sentries who happened to be passing by and the gentle rush of the wind.

"How are you this morning?" Certo lifted his head to see Kia had entered the room without so much as making a sound. Normally he would have heard her coming, but today his mind was elsewhere. Kia studied him cautiously. She was not use to the sight of him using his special element outside of a fighting situation.

"She's doing fine." Certo answered, nudging Pip with his snout. "Just making sure she's staying warm enough."

"That's very responsible of you." The air dragoness nodded. "If you would like, I can see if I can gather some more while you are out today."

"Would you be willing?" Certo asked, raising a brow. It felt as if Kia was growing more and more accustomed to his routines as of late. She had never really put up a fuss about what he did before, but at the same time had rarely offered to be a parental figure.

"Certainly. It will only get harder once she hatches."

"You have no idea." Certo mumbled, staring at the glossy black shell.

Kia watched him as he silently brooded over his own private thoughts. She admired him as a student very much. It almost seemed unfathomable how mature he was yet still so young; like he wanted to hang onto his innocence, but life was denying him the right.

"Go on Certo. I'm sure Crona is awake and waiting for you right now."

Certo lifted his gaze to look into Kia's golden eyes. They were sincere, almost as if they felt sorry for him. Certo had to look away; he did not need to be pitied for what ever reason she had come up with. "Thank you." He murmured and moved out onto the snow-covered balcony.

Once in the air he felt the painful realization strike him again; his closest friend was soon going to be gone from his life. It would not matter for very long after. He had no future anyways. But what about Pip? Would she have a future? Of course she would; she had to. Otherwise his descendants would not be able to bring about the end of the world. What a miserable future for his kin. Would they ever know what was to come? And if so, would they try and stop it? Most likely…

The feeling of jealousy and hatred began to build up inside him and his scars became illuminated once more. He envied Crona right now. She got to go home to a parent that loved her dearly, a time when all was right with the world. "…Or balanced as she would say." He grumbled to himself. That was all these entities seemed to be about; never mind the suffering that went on in the world.

A mournful sigh filled the air. Was it all for the best? Did Crona and others like her really have the right to judge what was better for the world? Perhaps. Perhaps not. The question of trust did not get the opportunity to lurk about in the back of his mind. Of course he trusted Crona; more than he probably should have let himself, but the two of them were far too involved to turn back on that trail now.

"Certo!"

The sound of his name being called snapped him out of his trance. He back-winged and looked down to see he had nearly missed the library in his deep thoughts. Down below, Crona was already waiting outside with Stratus, Verona and Cytros. The fire guard and ice dragoness stood close together, almost unusually so. It did not take Certo long to see where their relationship was at now after so many months after being introduced.

"Are you okay?" Crona asked as her friend came in for a landing before them. "You seemed like something was on your mind."

"It's fine." Certo assured her, knowing she would never buy into his lie; if only long enough to keep up appearances with the others.

"Good morning young dragon." Stratus bowed respectfully. "I trust you have rested well enough from last night's festivities?"

"Enough," Certo nodded, returning the gesture in his own subtle way.

"Certo, it has come to our attention that you intend on escorting Crona home by yourself." Cytros spoke up, getting right to business. "Is that true?"

Certo froze momentarily. Crona paused time, seeing his muscles lock up the way they did. "It's fine. They don't know anything." She assured, and the black dragon nodded and time resumed its course.

"That's correct."

"If you are willing to allow me, I have two spare sentries that may assist you. But that is all I can spare."

Certo opened his mouth to speak, but a sudden tingle struck him in the back of his head. A sense of dread and alarm rippled though his body causing his scars to light up on their own. He turned to see a brilliant violet light engulf the world. An earth-shattering roar thundered through the air and a violent explosion shook the city.


	37. Chapter 37

Muffled sounds seemed to wake Crona from her nearly unconscious state. The dragoness's senses were skewed, causing her head to feel as if it were tumbling out of control. She could hear her name being called by a distant voice, partly drowned out by the ringing in her ears. It was hard to breathe as a heavy pressure was forcing itself down on top of her. Crona opened her eyes and blinked to focus her vision.

All around were large chunks of strewn debris and dragons who had been knocked off their feet. Certo was on top of her, barely being able to shield her from the sudden explosion. Beside him lay the remains of a severed wing, the owner of which, Crona could not identify.

The white dragoness's blue eyes lifted to see Certo staring back over his shoulder, his jaw dropped in stupefied horror. Crona looked past him farther down the hill and the cloud of purple smoke billowing into the air. The entire southern end of the wall surrounding the city had been obliterated. Tons of stone debris had left a trail of devastation across the lower part of the city. Screams were starting to reach them as the city now became suddenly awake.

Nitrus's voice reached Crona's ears, no longer filled with the high pitched ringing. "Get to the wall! We are under attack!" He turned to Certo. "I'm sorry Certo." Before the black dragon could say anything he took to the sky, beating his wings as hard as he could to get to the breach in their perimeter.

"Verona, gather the civilians!" Stratus barked with a sharp urgency in his voice none of them had ever heard before. "Lead them to the shelter until we can be certain that the city is safe!"

"Understood!" The librarian nodded shakily and flew off towards the nearest homes.

Stratus turned to Certo and Crona and placed himself between the wall and them. "Are you both alright?" The sound of an angry growl gurgled in the back of his throat.

Certo only ignored the question. "Are you alright?" Certo groaned as he lifted himself off of Crona. "Can you walk?"

"I think so." Crona stammered, still feeling rather shaken by the sudden ferocity of the attack. She looked back down towards the lower end of the city at the purple smoke rising into the sky. "It's Neros."

"I know." Certo growled, shrugging his shoulders. He had been hit by several large rocks and he could feel the swelling already starting. "Crona you have to get out of here and return home! Before he has the chance to capture you again."

"I-I can't!" Crona squeaked. "It's too soon!"

"I know it is!" Certo snapped. "But Neros hasn't given us a choice in the matter!"

Crona could feel her heart racing and pounding against her chest. "I can't Certo. Not without your help!"

"What do you need me for?" Certo shouted. He tried to back away but Crona only pressed towards him more, hoping to stop him should he try and run away. "You know how to get home! You can do it! So just do it! Just go!"

"Certo, if there's something you need to do, then you must do it now!" Stratus interrupted. "Either help Crona or help us. Either way you have to choose now!"

The black dragon glanced from the elder to his friend who stared up at him with pleading eyes.

"Please Certo! It's important!"

The black dragon ground his teeth in irritation. He just wanted her to go and be gone for good; to be safe. "I hate how stubborn you are!" He snarled, baring his teeth at her.

Crona could only breathe a thankful sigh before Certo shoved her in the opposite direction. "I'll be right back!" He called to Stratus. "Please make sure Pip is safe!"

The earth guardian nodded. "Be careful young ones." Certo paid his words little mind as he clambered into Crona's back again and wrapping his forelimbs around her chest. The white dragon gave a startled yelp as she was violently yanked from the ground and into the cold air. The wind blew at their backs, propelling them faster towards the outer wall, just west of the city. Certo flew low over the rooftops, hoping to stay out of sight. Sensing his need for invisibility, Crona brought time to a halt.

"Save your strength." Certo growled as he powered on. "You're going to need all of it."

"I'll be fine." Crona insisted, then privately added. "Let's just get out of this place."

Back at the library Stratus could only stare in disbelief when the couple seemed to disappear into thin air. His moment of awe was interrupted by a howling cry rippling through the air. He turned back to look towards the demolished wall to see the woods themselves come alive with hundreds, if not thousands, of shrieking, hollering apes. The baboons pumped the air with their weapons in hand, gnashing their teeth and jumping up and down excitedly, tossing dirt all around them. A single baboon with a large creature skull on his head hoisted his spear into the air and let loose a blood curdling howl. The army of mandrills charged forward with aggressive speed. The hole in the city wall was wide enough that there would be no stopping them, no matter how many sentries were to intercept them.

"Fall back from the wall!" Cytros bellowed to his troops who were prepared to stand and fight. "We must draw them into the central plaza!"

"Captain! We have wounded still in the rubble!" An earth dragon shouted over the noise which was rapidly approaching. Cytros looked past the guard to see bodies still lying on the ground, struggling to get up from the aid of the city guard or volunteers. The apes barreled into the city and leaped into the air, raining themselves down on top of the vulnerable dragons. The dragons screamed as blades, claws and teeth plunged into their flesh, spilling warm blood onto the frozen ground. Stratus could not bear to watch the slaughter. He turned away, hoping to drown out the cries of pain and excited hoots from the apes.

A sudden roar grabbed the guardian's attention and a wave of heat rushed up the hill. Stratus looked back to see the fire guards had created a wall of fire to slow their attackers, hoping that it would buy them enough time to launch a counter strike.

Not wasting another moment, the earth dragon took to the air. By now, Nitrus had met up with Cytros alongside Kia, Amp and Cryus. With them were Terra, Vixen, Sabre and Thundra who carried a terrified Maya on her back.

"The guard is in disarray." Cytros reported. "We need to regroup our forces if we're going to be able to repel these vermin!"

"I'm aware of that," Nitrus nodded. He turned to Stratus with a fierce, demanding expression. "Is the shelter ready yet?"

"Enough."

"Then take our families and ensure that they get there safely." Nitrus ordered.

"My grand-daughter is already ushering everyone to the library." The head librarian bowed, to the guardian and gestured for Thundra to follow him. "If you would?"

"Come along young ones." Thundra urged, ushering Vixen, Sabre and her own youngsters along.

Nitrus, and Cytros watched them go before another eerie howl ripped their attention away. They turned back to the wall of fire to see that it was disappearing. An icy wind from the forest was dispersing the flames much faster than originally anticipated.

"Fall back!" Nitrus ordered, bounding up the hill after his fellow guardians. The sentries scrambled ahead of them, all the while glancing over their shoulders.

Seeing their prey retreating, only caused the apes to become more excited. The blood-lusting baboons swarmed over the rubble and carcasses' dragon and apes alike. Any dragons still managing to be alive lay still, hoping that they would be overlooked, giving them a chance to possibly survive.

Among them lay Voltrus. The lieutenant lay on his side, wings broken and body bleeding from jagged shards of stone and broken metal piercing his hide. Across the way, he spotted one of his subordinates, lying on the ground, staring out at him with his one good eye. His lower torso crushed beneath large chunks of the outer wall. The apes did not seem to notice them as the poured into the city. Even if he was to be overlooked he would not survive his wounds. His wounded comrade's eye followed the apes and he opened his mouth to unleash a breath attack. Voltrus watched as the apes burned away in a powerful blast of fire.

No sooner had the sentry attacked, than an ominous purple glow lit up the sky. Voltrus turned his head as a wave of violet fire engulfed the fallen dragon, destroying more residential pavilions in the process. The dragons retreating deeper into the city took cover from the flying rocks and burning wood. When the dust cleared, Voltrus found himself coughing hard, trying to clear his lungs. He opened his eyes to see his world spinning and blurry.

The sound of an angry growl reached his ears, and a pale white dragon marched over the rubble and into the city. His eyes were ruby red, his left eye bearing three scars over it. Voltrus felt his breath leave him for a moment as he realized who this dragon was. He had heard about how much Neros and Certo resembled one another, but now he was looking at him for the first time and cold fear gripped his heart. Neros was not a young adolescent dragon as he had once been told, but a full grown adult; contradicting everything he had heard previously. How could someone claim the two black dragons of being twins when it was clear that Neros was so much older?

Neros, sensing the uneasiness in the lieutenant, stopped and looked down at the wounded sentry. His eyes seemed to be able to pierce through his armor and chill the lightning dragon from the inside out.

"Where is she?" Neros hissed. "Where are you hiding Crona?"

Voltrus wheezed as he tried to catch his wind. Several apes were forming up behind the albino dragon, eagerly hoping he would allow them to tear him to pieces. A sense of peace washed over the sentry. This was what Certo had been so terrified about; his brother singling the white dragoness out and slaughtering others to get at her. For what, he would never know.

With angry defiance in his eyes, he looked up at Neros and hissed. "She's gone." A smile tugged at the corners of his mouth. "Your brother has taken her far away, and you will never seize her again."

Neros frowned. He lifted his nose to sniff cold air with his tongue. The familiar scent of his brother hit his special gland, telling him how fresh the smell was. The black dragon looked back at the sentry with a grin on his face. "He's not far enough." The apes jumped back at the sound of the black dragon's tail blade plunging into the sentry's head through his eye. The body went limp with a short gargled cry and lay still. Neros withdrew his bloody tail blade and turned his killing gaze towards the upper levels of the city.

"I'm going after her." He growled and turned to the apes gathering around him. "Kill everyone you see."

The shrill cry from the lower parts of the city only caused more panic as the dragons fled towards the library. Despite the pleas of Stratus and Verona, the civilians continued to push and shove one another out of the way, hurrying as fast as they could towards safety.

Down in the central plaza of the city, Nitrus and his fellow guardians stood poised for a counter attack. The sentries had clambered onto the rooftops of the buildings nearby, waiting for the apes to walk into their line of fire. Stratus would need more time to get the civilians to safety before they could launch a full-on strike against the invaders.

The tell tale sounds of hoots and howls drew closer. The guards tensed their muscles beneath their heavy armor and held their breath. At the exact instant the first ape showed its face, two fire breathers belted out a combined fireball. The shot went over the ape's head, and exploded into the middle of the pack behind him. The force sent the baboons flying head over heals, through the air and into the town square. Before they could get a chance to recover, three ice sentries leapt from their perches, bringing their full weight and claws down onto their victims.

More apes swarmed into the plaza, rushing straight for the ice dragons. Chains of lightning cut through the air, striking the leaders down before they could catch their fellow dragons off guard. Two pavilions slammed together, crushing the scrambling apes, as the earth dragons began to join the fight. The frozen streets were turning red with blood as more apes rushed forward to meet the ice dragons' claws of death. From his look-out point, Nitrus glanced over at Cytros. The fire-breather lifted his eyes and Nitrus nodded. The captain spread his wings and roared, signaling to his fellow fire dragons. The sentries on the ground took to the air as a rushing river of flame covered the ground and poured into the streets beyond the plaza. Nitrus watched with a look of sadness in his eyes as he watched their city burn. He could feel the intense heat as everything seemed to glow in the golden, fiery light.

The smell of burned ape flesh made him curl his lips in disgust; filthy disgusting creatures. As the flames died down, so did the sounds of the city. He turned to Kia, who stood beside him, looking just as forlorn about watching her home burn to the ground. Sensing his eyes upon her she took to the air and hovered over the plaza. Slowly she inhaled before expelling a gust of wind, blowing the black smoke from the streets and into the cloudy sky. She could not tell if it was all snow flying through the air or ash. Not like it would have made a difference either way. The streets looked clear from her point of view. The stone had been charred black, still smoking in the chilly morning air.

As Kia turned to face the city guards her eyes widened. "Nitrus behind you!" The apes had somehow slipped past them, and climbed up on the roof behind the guardian of ice. Time seemed to slow down as Nitrus turned to see the mandrills leaping towards him, jaws wide in a horrific scream, blood dripping from their spiked clubs. The weapon struck the ice dragon across the face, gouging his eye in the process. Nitrus bellowed in pain and tumbled off the building into the street. The apes leaped after him but two were snatched out of mid air by Captain Cytros. The fire breather shook the bodies violently, snapping their spines before tossing them aside.

By now more apes were showing up from all around the sentries. The dragons snarled and turned to face their opponents; the apes howled and lunged for their throats. Kia watched in dismay at the carnage down below. Apes and dragons clashed with claws, weapons and teeth, spilling each others blood in an utter display of feral savagery. The guards no longer looked like the dedicated soldiers they once were. Snarls, shrieks and roars filled the air, stinging Kia's ears.

The sudden stab of pain in her wing brought her back to reality. With a sharp yank, the chained scythe cut through her membrane. The dragoness screamed as she fell towards the ground. She hit with crushing force, feeling her legs and good wing snap on impact. Kia's world spun before her eyes as she blankly stared out at the chaos before her. Cytros turned his head after swatting four apes with his long claws and shouted to her. Kia would only hear muffled ringing in her ears and her left eye was beginning to fill with blood. The air guardian felt her body jolt several times and Cytros halted in stupefaction. Three more apes leaped over her and rushed the captain, waving their daggers at the guardian as he reared up to fight them off. The wounded dragoness lifted her head and craned her long neck to look at her broken body. Three long spears punctured her side, pinning her to the ground.

A short gasp escaped her as she lay her head back down. Despite the fatal wound, she was calm; everything seemed peaceful despite the battle around her. Pain was no longer a sensation she could feel. All that remained was quiet tranquility as she relaxed her body and closed her eyes, no longer wishing to see any more of the world.

The cold air stung Certo's lungs. He had been flying as fast as he could but carrying the dragoness's weight had always been a hindrance on his speed. With another grunt, he shifted his forelimbs wrapped around her and tucked his hind legs in closer.

"Higher," Crona croaked, pulling his paws up higher on her chest. Having him only hold her around her midsection made flying with him that much more uncomfortable. Down below she could see the snow covering the forest floor. It would be easy for her to hide there were it not for the cold. She squeaked suddenly when Certo made a sharp dive towards the trees. Crona gripped Certo's front paws tight and dug her claws into him. She was never one for flying below the tree tops, but Certo was weaving hard and fast in-between them with her still being held close to his stomach. Crona squinted and grit her teeth, expecting to crash at any possible second.

The trees began to spread out, and Certo slowed his flight as rock formations began to shoot by beneath them. The black dragon came to a near halt, before releasing her from his grasp. Crona landed hard on her feet, still slightly shaken by the rush.

"Down here. Hurry." Certo whispered as he clambered over the rocks. Crona followed at a slightly clumsy pace as Certo led her between the trees until they came to a worn path in the rocks making a high wall on each side with the trees towering overhead. Certo stopped at the foot of the path, looking back over his shoulder towards the city. "This will have to do for now." He muttered before turning back to her. "It's now or never Crona."

Crona watched him step back away from her, anxiously glancing back over his shoulder every few seconds. She sat down and closed her eyes to concentrate. She could hear his rushed, heavy breathing and it only made her more nervous. He did not have to be so up tight. Things would work out for the better; she had promised him that. Once again, Sin's words whispered to her in the back of her mind.

"Certo," she spoke up. "I need to tell you something."

"It's going to have to wait." Certo shot back, ferocity surfacing in his voice. "Right now you have to get that portal open so you can get home safe."

"But Certo."

"Not now Crona!"

The chronicler bit her lower lip, holding back the urge to snap back at him. She closed her eyes and calmed her senses. The cold air filled her lungs and a shiver went through her body. The sudden movement sent a surge of energy around them, rustling the leaves overhead. The blue mist was heavily abundant in this area. The flow of magic was gently emanating from the freshly fallen snow; absolute purity. Crona's paw lifted out of the snow and began to gather the power of the blue mist around her. Magic rising from the snow joined in along with the ancient power within Crona herself.

"That's it! You're doing it Crona!" Certo coaxed. "Keep going!"

Crona flexed her talons, bringing the energies into a visible state. The cloud of white pulsed around her paw, growing larger in size until the dragoness's forelimb was shrouded in white light.

"You've almost got it!" Certo coached urgently. "Just a little more. Visualize your home. Think of where you're wanting to go. I know you can do it. I believe in you."

"Certo!" Crona hissed, cracking an eye slightly, and struggling to maintain her grip on the energy surrounding her limb. "I appreciate the words of confidence, but please… shut up!"

The black dragon's lower jaw snapped up and he was silent. He watched as Crona's paw lifted higher as the pulsing magic started to hum methodically. Then without a word, Crona extended her talons, forcing open a portal large enough to fit around her. The orb of light pulsed for another moment before expanding to double its size, sending a gust of wind through the forest.

Back in the city, the disturbance in the wind alerted the albino black dragon. His spines stood on end and his lips curled into a furious snarl. With a mighty beat of his wings, he was airborne and rushing towards the source.

Crona opened her eyes and breathed a sigh of relief. Certain that she was finished with summoning the energy she needed, Certo stepped forward next to her. "Did you do it? Is…Is this your way home?"

The white dragoness stared into the light and her light blue eyes seemed to glow in response. "It's perfect." She answered staring up at her friend.

Certo sighed with satisfaction, relief steadily building up inside him. The two shared a momentary silence between them, both proud of the accomplishment.

No sooner had a minute passed than a furious roar echoed in the distance. Certo's crest seemed to raise in response and his eyes grew wide.

"Neros!" He exclaimed, a growl gurgling in the back of his throat. He looked back towards the city, expecting to see his twin already bearing down upon them. However, the trees blocked most of his view making his heart rate spike that much higher. "Crona, you have to go now! Hurry!"

"No, Certo! Wait! I have to tell you something!" But the black dragon was already shoving her towards the steadily shrinking portal.

"There's no time. If Neros gets to you then everything we've worked for will be for nothing! You have to go now!" Another roar stopped the black dragon, long enough for Crona to step aside and face him head on. "Look you have to go!" He pleaded, his red and blue eyes openly begging her to do as he asked. "If you need time, then I'll hold my brother off until you're safely away. Just go now!"

"Certo, I don't want to say goodbye to you like this!" Crona shouted over him. Certo fell silent and stared at her in utter shock. "In fact I don't want to say goodbye to you at all! I don't want you to suffer here anymore! You don't deserve it! So I want to ask… Will you come home with me?"

Certo's mouth fell open and his legs nearly buckled beneath him. Crona looked at him, hoping he would answer her quick. A tense moment passed at a snail's pace as Certo tried to recompose himself. "I… I want…I…" He shook his head. "N-no! I can't! It's your time, not mine! There's no point?"

"Come on Certo! Just come with me to the future!"

"The future? Crona, you heard Sin yourself! I have no future!"

"He didn't say that! He just said he couldn't see it! That doesn't mean you don't have one!"

"If you chroniclers can't see the future, then what hope do I have? I'm just one dragon!" Certo growled, turning away from her.

"Exactly why you should come with me! You're just one dragon tying to put the weight of the world on his own shoulders when it doesn't need to be! Everything is going to be fine Certo! I promise!" Certo only hung his head and Crona felt her heart tighten into a knot. She could no longer breathe with ease. All she was capable of was standing and staring in disbelief. How could he still be so stubborn to not take her offer when it was clearly better than what lay for him here? The tears Crona had been holding back until then, poured from her eyes. No sound came from her mouth until she managed to choke out her friend's name. "Certo… please…"

"Pip still needs me." The black dragon muttered. "The others still need me…You're going to be safe. I can live with that." He sighed and glanced back at her with his blue eye, which looked as if it were ready to start expelling tears at any time. "But you know what?" He turned back to her with a faint smile tugging at his cheek. "After all that we've said to each other and done together… I do know…That I'm…I'm happy… to have met you."

Crona felt the air rush into her lungs as her mouth fell open. Before she knew it, Certo's muzzle was up against hers. An astonished squeak escaped from her maw as her nose was pointed towards the cloudy sky. A warm pressure could be felt under her jaw, where her neck was. Certo's long tongue dragged up under her jawline and ended at her upper lip before disappearing inside his mouth. Crona's heart raced and pounded against her chest and the blood inside her body burned against her white scales. Had Certo really just done what she thought he had?

Before she had any more time to ponder the question, she felt his presence beside her. She turned to him, eyes wide, desperately wanting to understand the situation she had suddenly been thrown into. The black dragon sighed and looked into her eyes for the last time. "Goodbye Crona."

With that he shoved her hard, pushing her back into the portal which was barely large enough to fit her body size. Crona screamed in fright as she was sent tumbling head over tail through the vortex. She shouted for help but her voice was lost in the flow of time.

Another angry roar grabbed Certo's attention away from the shrinking portal. Neros appeared over the treetops, quickly closing the gap between him and his twin. The albino dragon realized what was happening and his eyes lit up with convexity. He flung himself towards his brother's hiding spot with the full intention to tear him apart if he stood in his way.

Certo was frozen for a brief instant as he realized the size of his now fully grown twin. As Neros opened his jaws, the young male braced himself and thrust his head forward. The sonic blast that erupted from Certo's throat caught Neros off guard, knocking him back, and giving an opening to strike. Certo charged across the ground, before launching himself into his larger twin, knocking the wind from his lungs. Certo bit down hard on his brother's neck, trying to divert his attention away from the portal long enough for it to disappear.

Neros bellowed and pawed at his brother, trying to knock him off. Each swipe only resulted in more injuries sustained by the smaller dragon's horns and flailing tail blade. After his fifth attempt, Neros finally managed to swat Certo away. The black dragon hit the ground and rolled leaving bloody marks in the snow.

The portal was nearly closed now but not enough that Neros would not be able to reach out and be sucked into it. He leaped for the glowing orb with a wild grin on his face. The albino's claws reached out for it, ready to receive the prize he had been longing for, for so many months. A sudden rush of heat swept over him and a shocking crimson bolt struck the portal. The sudden fluctuation of energy triggered the imbalance effect and the portal combusted. The shock wave knocked the albino just out of reach of the tennis ball-sized energy cluster, and Neros hit the ground with a hard thud. A gust of wind sent a cloud of snow around him, blocking his terrible sight even more.

Another force hit him in the neck, sinking its claws and teeth into his flesh. Neros yowled and rolled over the ground before slamming his attacker against the rocky cliff side of the forest path. Certo released his hold and crumbled to the ground, a small cut bleeding on the side of his head above his horns.

His brother jumped to his feet and turned just in time to see the remaining traces of Crona's gathered magic disappear. The pale dragon stood dumbstruck for several minutes, giving Certo the time he needed to catch his second wind and get to his feet.

A white-hot rage began to swell up from inside Neros. His ruby-red eyes blazed with purple fury and he struck the ground, knocking any loose rocks against the wall. The roar that came from deep inside the albino dragon thundered for miles, stabbing Certo's eardrums and shattering the rock walls surrounding them. As Certo got to his feet, Neros whirled on him and struck him with his claws. Certo only managed to utter a gasp as he hit the fallen rocks in the snow.

"You! This is all your fault! You let her get away! You've ruined everything! You're going to pay! I'll kill you!"

Certo blinked several times to try and bring his spinning senses back to normal. He sighed and forced a defiant smile as he rose to meet his adult twin. "As long as Crona's away from you, I have nothing left to fear. You have shown me death, and I welcome it!"

"Then we will end this feud between us, dear brother!" Neros hissed, violet flames licking at the edges of his mouth.

Certo inhaled deeply, calming his senses as he had seen the white dragoness do so many times before. A roar burst from he back of his throat and he charged his brother, ready to meet his destiny.

The roar of outrage was easily heard through the chaos of the dragon city. Stratus stopped his escort momentarily and his head snapped in the direction of the noise. A vibrant purple aura rose up over the horizon, followed by a bloody crimson. It was not hard to recognize the source of either power; the brothers had engaged in mortal combat.

A scream wrenched his attention back to the dragons behind him. None of them had been attacked, but they could see the apes racing up the hill towards them. The dragons were still being escorted to the library's shelter, but it was taking longer than desired; and with the amount of destruction to the city on the rapid increase, it was growing harder and harder to find survivors in the mess. The apes leaped high, pouncing onto the back of a mother ice dragon ushering her three young, tired hatchlings along. The apes stabbed at the mother's icy armored hide, trying to break the armor to get at her soft flesh, but the dragoness only flailed more wildly.

Stratus bellowed, slamming his front paws into the ground and sending a ripple of earth through the streets. The earth knocked the mother dragon off her feet, sending the apes tumbling across the ground. "Hurry!" He coaxed the young ones as they stared in horror. "She'll be right behind you!"

The baboons were getting to their feet now and grabbing up their weapons once more, ready to finish the job they had started. Stratus bellowed, placing himself between the dragoness and her assailants, green wisps of energy billowing from his jaws. The apes backed off slightly, their eyes darting to the wounded mother staggering to her feet. Stratus backed away, pressing against the dragoness, pushing her along up the hill. But seeing their prey getting away threw the apes into a frenzy. They charged the guardian, weapons swinging wildly, hoping he would react and give them an opening to strike. But there was no such luck on their side as instead, they were swat aside like insects, splattering against the wall of a nearby pavilion.

"We must hurry! Go!" He pushed the dragoness harder, with more desperation in his actions than care. The female groaned in pain, swaggering from her wounds. The shrieks and hollers of the apes were growing closer by the minute. All around, sentries were escorting groups of civilians up the hill. Many were hurrying as fast as they could but the uphill charge was taking their toll on them in such a large city.

The apes, on the other hand, were proving to be far more capable of handling the ever increasing uphill fight. They were far greater in number, but their resilience was proving to take its toll on the retreating dragons. Mandrills everywhere leaped from rooftops onto the fleeing dragons, and down they went. Several sentries hesitated, uncertain whether or not to help the fallen or continue on with their escort. By the time they had made up their mind, the blood-lusting apes had already latched onto them.

Stratus could not bear to watch any longer. He pushed the remaining dragons up towards the library and inside. No sooner had he gotten the last dragonet inside the main building than he felt a sharp stab in his lower back. The guardian howled and dropped onto his hind legs. Two more apes leaped onto his back, digging their claws into his skin. The guardian rolled over, crushing the apes beneath his great weight and his wing along with them. He got to his feet and ducked as a spear narrowly missed his neck.

"Stratus!" Verona's voice called from inside the library. The ice dragoness rushed outside to see if there were any others being escorted to the shelter. As the librarian's eyes adjusted to the light, she felt something hit her shoulder. Two spears brought her down with a wretched scream.

"Stay back!" Stratus snarled as the apes charged his grand-daughter. He fired an earth bullet into them, sending body parts and blood flying through the air. "Verona, can you stand?"

The dragoness whimpered and cursed herself for being so reckless. "I can try."

"You must protect the others!" Stratus ordered. "Go and close the shelter. I will hold these savages off until you are safe."

"You're not serious!" Verona squawked. "They'll kill you!"

"I am a guardian!" Stratus snapped back over his shoulder. "I will do what I must! Now leave!" Verona staggered back as if she had been punched. "Now!" Stratus bellowed, his voice echoing inside the library.

By now the mandrills were drawing closer, having seen where their victims were taking refuge. The leaders pounced on Stratus, driving their blades into his back, immediately bringing him to the ground. Verona screamed and rushed forward to help him. The apes sprang off the guardian and attached themselves to her neck, pressing the lodged spears through her shoulder and out the opposite side. Verona's cry was nearly drowned out by the shrill crackle of electricity and a bolt of lightning striking two of the apes on top of her.

Ampus stood poised and ready to meet the invaders should they decide to attack him as well. The apes, turned from the librarian to the young dragon, smiles curled from their blood-stained mouths. The closest ape took a step forward and Amps jaws opened. The smell of fried flesh and fur filled the air as the ape fell dead on the marble floor. The lightning guardian inhaled deeply, his quills standing fully erect before thrusting his head forward. The blast of lightning shot through the library and into the cloudy sky.

Winded from the exertion, Amp paused to catch his breath and crept up to Verona. The apes were dead, but there was a strong chance that she was as well. Much to his surprise, the dragoness was breathing; in a state of shock but still alive.

"Help!" Amp shouted desperately. "I need help!"

In the back of the library, several of the dragons emerged from the still-open shelter. The library was quiet except for the crying of the young and moaning of the wounded. Hesitantly they crept out of hiding and into the main chamber where they stood dumbstruck at the sight of the two fallen dragons. Amp gave them a look, his eyes begging them to help him move them to safety. After the initial shock had passed, they moved to lift Verona off the blood-stained floor. As they delicately lifted her frame off the marble, Amp moved closer to Stratus. He held his breath as he waited for the guardian to move. Once he was beside his thick, horned head, Amp let out a stifled croak. The earth dragon's eyes stared emptily out at the world, the light having already died from behind them. Blood trickled from his open wounds and mouth, mixing with the snow on the streets.

Hot rage began to rise inside Amp and his quills started to buzz with anger.

"Amp?" Terra's voice came from behind him. The ice dragoness crept closer from out of hiding, having slipped away from her mother while she had the chance. Beside her was Vixen and Sabre looking just as mortified by the loss of the elder dragon. The silence was interrupted by the sound of hoots drawing closer up the hill.

"Get them inside." Amp ordered, darkness weighing heavily in his voice. "I'll be right behind you." He backed up away from the main entrance, keeping close to the dragons carrying Verona. The further they backed into the library, the quieter the noise became until there was nothing but the sounds of heavy breathing. Amp paused, listening to the silence. His quills pointed towards the ceiling, trying to detect any abnormalities in the air around him. It was hard for him to see having stepped outside and gotten his eyes used to the light.

It was not until Terra spotted movement overhead that he knew they were in danger. The ice dragoness screamed as she lurched forward. The mandrill dropped from the second level of the library and swung its massive bone weapon. Terra knocked Amp to the side as the blade just missed him by mere inches. Amp rolled and whirled onto his feet, spraying lightning from his arched quills. The mandrill that had made a stab at him convulsed before falling back dead. More shrieks and hollers echoed overhead as apes dropped from the upper levels.

A hot light lit up the library. Vixen and two of the adult dragons released a wave of fire into the air, catching several of the attacking apes in its wake. The bodies fell, burning to the floor, giving Amp the moment he needed to hurry beside his mate. Terra screamed and writhed on the floor like a wounded snake. Blood sprayed everywhere; on the floor, the books, and across Amp's face. The guardian stood frozen in horror at the sight of his mate's disembodied limb lying in a pool of blood at his feet.

"Terra! Stay still!" Sabre shouted, pouncing on the thrashing dragoness, trying to subdue her. Terra would not stop flailing from the pain and knocked Sabre across the jaw with her wing barb. She ignored the strike and pinned her friend with all her might. Terra screamed even louder as she felt the chill of ice against her bloody stump as Sabre froze the wound over to prevent her from bleeding out.

"Sabre!" Vixen cried. An adult lurched forward as a volley of spears dropped from the ceiling. Sabre flinched and pulled Terra close to her. A sharp, burning pain swept across the right side of her face and Terra cried out once more. The adult dragoness had thrown herself over them to keep them from being impaled to death, at the cost of her own life. The body collapsed onto its side with a gargled wheeze.

"Go!" She managed before her strength left her.

Sabre felt the jaws of another adult dragon grab her by the tail and she squawked in alarm. The female pulled her back towards the shelter doors, forcing her to relinquish her hold on Terra. Vixen started to rush out but was pushed aside by another larger male earth dragon. The elder grabbed Terra in his jaws, minding her severe wound and ducked out of the way as more spears dropped from overhead.

Amp, having recovered from his initial shock, shook his head and his quills bristled with rage. "Close the doors!" He shouted, electricity illuminating the library. The dragons carrying Sabre and Terra disappeared inside the darkness of the shelter as two other males took hold of the door handles and began to pull.

"No stop!" Vixen shouted. "Amp is still out there!"

"Just take care of Terra!" Amp hollered over the hoots and howls.

"Amp, don't do this!" Vixen sobbed. "You're not Certo!" Amp froze for a moment. The doors slowly ground to a halt and locked. Amp shook his head and looked around to find himself surrounded. He was not the black dragon. But he would still fight to the death to protect those he loved.

The young dragon inhaled and lunged forward. The apes shrieked and a loud crack echoed inside the building.

Crona tried to scream but no sound came from her mouth. All around she could see flashes of color against the white energy she had summoned. The reeling was making her dizzy and she forced herself to shut her mouth in fear of vomiting all over herself. She squeezed her eyes shut, hoping that the spinning would stop. All she wanted now was to be out of this forsaken time portal.

Shortly after this silent plea passed through her mind, the white began to fade away. The young chronicler opened her eyes to see the world around her coming into focus. Before she could fully open them, she was flung from the portal and sent bouncing across cold marble. When she finally came to a stop, Crona could only lie on her side, eyes barely cracked, her wing draped haphazardly over her head. Something, somewhere, inside her had broken. The dragoness groaned and scraped herself off the smooth floor and looked around for the first time. It was then her jaw dropped in astonishment. How had she managed to come here of all places?

In the central chamber of time, Ignitus sat before the great hourglass. The pale blue glow from the unending sands cast a calm light over the books before him. He breathed a sigh of relief as he finished reading the page he was on. He had not expected the purple dragon to return to the world of the living, much less with the new earth guardian. However, seeing the face of the entity from so long ago during the war brought a smile to the elder's face. "Welcome home young dragons. You have done us all proud."

The sound of talons against stone brought the chronicler's attention up from the pages. Crona slid on the marble, slamming into the doorway and stopping with a look of utter stupor on her face. For a tense moment neither dragon spoke. The sense of recognition tickled them for a brief minute before either could speak again.

"Ignitus? Wh-what are you doing here?" The dragoness choked. "Where is…" Her eyes fell upon the crystal hanging from the former fire guardian's neck. The blue stone gave three quick pulses and Crona's eyes seemed to shine in response. "I see." Her heart sank even lower. She no longer had her grandfather there or her best friend. Why was she suddenly losing everyone she knew or cared for?

"Crona, what in the ancestors name are you doing here?" Ignitus questioned in a gentle voice. He was intrigued and somehow discouraged about the dragoness's sudden appearance in such a sacred place.

The question seemed to snap Crona out of her personal trance and remind her of what she was doing. "Sorry," she apologized. "I don't have time now." She bounded past the new chronicler and looked up at the miles of book shelves overhead. There was no way she could figure out where to start looking for her friend's book. The dragoness closed her eyes and thought hard. "Certo!" She cried in her mind. "Please! Tell me you're okay!"

"My word." Ignitus gasped as he watched a book descend from the shadows. "You're a chronicler as well?"

Crona ignored him and brought the book over to her. It was thick and covered in thousands of year's worth of dust. After brushing the cover with her paw, Crona sighed, seeing that it was the one she desired. Without further hesitation she flung it open and began furiously flipping through the pages. She could see it all from the beginning, Certo's entire life from the moment he had been hatched, to the genocidal slaughter of his family. The dragoness grit her teeth, disheartened at seeing visions of his history unfold in her mind's eye.

Even as she continued blazing through the pages, Crona could not help but feel a slight sense of saddened pleasure, as she reminisced about the times she had spent with the black dragon. Their arguments, fights, quiet moments, and their warm nights together all came flooding back to her, causing her to choke back a sob until she came to the last pages.

Certo and Neros clashed in the air, the smaller black dragon maneuvering around to dodge his brother's large claws. Certo bit down on his twin's winged arm, digging his teeth in as deep as possible. Neros bellowed and turned to snap at his twin. Certo released his grip. If his brother managed to grab him up in his jaws the fight would be over in one single bite. Neros whirled around, swatting his twin with his wing. Certo felt his own wing joint sprain, but managed to stay airborne. Neros roared, releasing a wave of purple fire. Unable to move out of the way in time, Certo's muscles tensed, causing his scars to blaze in response. An orb of karma surrounded him preventing the fire contacting his body.

Certo roared again and beat his wings, charging forward.

Irritated by the defensive move, Neros beat his wings hard and charged Certo. Certo's barrier held strong until Neros released a concentrated blast at point blank range. The powers cancelled each other out, sending both black dragons spinning out of control. Certo fell into the treetops of the forest below while Neros remained hovering high overhead. The scarred black dragon wheezed as he struggled to breathe properly again. He was hanging onto several small tree branches in the canopy of the tree, watching, waiting for his twin to make a move. Neros's eyes scanned the forest below, waiting for his brother to attack. Certo grit his teeth and tightened his grip on the branches. The limbs snapped and Neros charged. Certo bared his teeth and fired a bolt of karma into the sky. The albino dragon dodged and spat an orb of violet light from the back of his throat. Certo's eyes widened and he launched himself off the treetop as a shower of splinters peppered his hindquarters.

Neros banked hard to pull out of his dive but the wind had changed. Certo sucked the icy air into his lungs and thrust his head forward. The sonic blast caught Neros in the might of its wake, stunning the large dragon and rattling his bones and he slammed into the trees, snapping their trunks like dried sticks, before hitting the ground with a thud.

Certo waited for several minutes for his brother to move as he watched from the top of another tree. Neros lay still, his breathing being his only sign that he was not dead yet. His body was covered in cuts and his pale hide was badly bruised. Slowly the black dragon began to climb down from the tree; all the while his crimson eye remained locked on the adult version of his sibling. The blazing hot karma from Certo's body melted the snow everywhere he stepped. He could not afford to let his guard down until he was certain Neros was no longer alive.

Twenty yards out, Certo stopped. Neros's breathing was growing steadily louder. His brother had broken his left front leg in the crash landing and the bruised forelimb was already swelling. The albino's sides heaved and a growl rumbled in his throat. Certo curled his lips, drawing in air again. His brother's scarred left eye opened and the ruby eye rolled around to fix on him. Neither dragon moved as the sounds of battle echoed from the city in the distance.

In a flash Neros's head whipped around and his jaws opened into a thunderous roar. Certo countered with his own burst, but Neros's lungs had grown far more powerful with his size and the back dragon was immediately overpowered. Certo's wings caught the wind and he was yanked backwards before slamming violently into a large rock on the side of the hidden path. The black dragon felt the wind rush out of his body and blood sprayed from his throat. Time seemed to slow down as Certo's head snapped back against the rock. He felt his bones crack and his eyes lifted to the cloudy, grey sky overhead. For a split second, the darkness of the clouds reminded him of the spots that speckled Crona's back, shoulders and hips. Even now, with the pain surging through his body, he felt like he was at peace. She was safe; hopefully.

In the next instant, the sound of the world came rushing back to Certo's ears. A flurry of a large object moving in the wind brought Certo's head back down. All he was able to see was a pale blur with a flash of mercury. Certo gagged and blood gushed from his mouth and onto his brother's tail.

Crona screamed when the vision flashed in her mind. Behind her, Ignitus was just as focused on the black dragon's book and he let out a discouraged sigh. Certo looked down to see the main mass of his brother's tail blade had missed severing him in half. But the edge was wedged under his scales with the middle barb lodged in his chest. The pain intensified and Certo could feel the mercury edge cutting into his heart, causing him to bleed out as well as internally.

A wicked smile spread across Neros's muzzle. The sight of his brother pinned under his deadly blade and the smell of fresh blood tickled his senses. The black dragon's karma burned against his mercury tail blade and the blood sizzled against the organic metal. Neros had longed for this for months on end; and now it was nothing short of ecstasy.

Certo was beginning to lose consciousness from the loss of blood. His eyelids drooped and his muscles relaxed, the karma disappearing from his body. Neros twisted his neck and took hold of his brother in his jaws, not paying any care to be gentle with his teeth. He pulled his blade out, causing a sudden stream of blood to spill out into the snow. Certo hung limp in his sibling's jaws. Neros dug his teeth in more, and with a hard swing of his head, hurled the body into the ditch. Crona screamed at the pages before her as she watched Neros stare down at his brother, crippled but a superior grin on his face. The albino half expected the smaller dragon to get up, but knew that the match had been decided. He spat into the snow and turned to hobble away. He would not be able to fly for some time with the severe wounds he had sustained from his crash. However, he would not need to worry about such a minor problem while he had more pressing matters to attend to. The albino black dragon turned to look at the city burning in the distance and began to walk back, is eyes glistening with purple fury.

Crona stared in horror at the page before her. Certo was lying in the snow; not dead but dying slowly from the loss of blood. How could he have lost to his sibling? How had Neros managed to mutate himself the way he did? The longer she stared at the page, the more her mind continued to race until the realization hit her like a brick.

"It's my fault." She choked, shaking her head. "Neros used my magic and… It's all my fault."

"Crona, I'm sorry." Ignitus whispered, putting a paw on her shoulder to comfort her. He still had very little idea what was going on, but could tell that the young dragoness would need comforting.

"It's my fault." Crona echoed, beginning to fill her eyes. "I brought this on Certo. He's dying because of me…"

"There's nothing you could have done." Ignitus assured her. "The best laid plans do not always turn out as we had originally hoped for."

Crona opened her mouth to speak but stopped when her vision seemed to blur. Startled she looked around to see that the books on the shelves were beginning to disappear. A gasp of dismay came from the master chronicler and Crona looked up to see him staring with wide eyes at her. The dragoness looked down to see that she was beginning to fade away.

"Ignitus! What's happening to me?" Crona yelled, terrified at the thought of vanishing forever.

"The final hurdle has come for Certo to overcome." Crona looked back up to see her grandfather standing before her. The old dragon had a saddened gleam in his eyes, knowing full well what she was going through. "If Certo does not follow through with his promise, all of dragon kind will perish. And there will no longer be any war."

"What are you talking about?" Crona shrieked.

"If Certo dies and Neros lives, the world will become even more unbalanced. Only one super power cannot exist alone in our world. Either both, or none at all."

Crona stared at him for a moment until her vision blurred again. She whirled around, nearly knocking the book to the floor with her tail. "Certo! Help us!" She screamed.

Blood plastered the stone walls of the path. Certo lay in the icy snow, his eyes just staring out at the white powder leading down the shallow canyon. He could no longer feel his body. The snow was making him numb and his mind was going into a state of slumber. He could hardly believe he had just lost the fight to his brother. It was wholly unexpected and unfair. Neros had most certainly cheated if he were to look at the situation from an outsider's perspective. On the other hand, he too lived by the law of the wild; kill or be killed.

As far as he was concerned, Neros could have his victory over his life. He had achieved the true victory in the greater scheme of the world. If he had had the strength to smile, Certo would have tried. Now, he just wanted to rest; forever.

"Certo." A soft voice murmured in his ear. The black dragon groaned and shifted slightly. "Certo, open your eyes."

The voice sounded familiar; Iike it was almost proud to have him there. Certo's vision focused to find himself surrounded by flames of crimson karma. Beyond was nothing but white; white and his seven family members standing before him. The one who had spoken was Star. The dragoness smiled warmly at the younger sibling she admired so much.

"S-Star?" Certo croaked in astonishment, getting to his feet. "Wh-what's going on? You're supposed to be dead! All of you!"

"That has not changed Certo." His mother spoke up in a whisper that seemed to echo around him. "When a dragon dies, they do not spiritually leave this world. Our souls return from which they came and rejoin the flow of magical energy that gives life to our world."

"We've been watching over you son." Bronze said in his usual gruff voice. "We have seen all that has happened and all that will come to be because of you."

"And not just you." Ebony added with a snicker. "But we've been also watching that cute little female you've been bonding with so much too. She's no black dragon but she's a nice catch."

The karma spiraling around Certo blazed into a flaming tower of energy as Certo's lips curled. A savage hiss rushed from between his teeth, but his body did not glow like it normally did. "Don't you dare speak of Crona like that you piece of trash! She's been with me from the very beginning! She's stood by me and been a better friend than any of you could even dream of being! She's the one I would call family! Not any of you!"

"We know." Siren whimpered remorsefully at the memories they were bringing back to the young dragon. "We're all sorry. Honestly."

"Are you now?" Certo fumed. "Cause I hardly think you even know the remote meaning of the word! Crona was right! I'm not the monster who created Neros! You all are! And it's because of you that so many will die and suffer for the next thousand years!" Certo's furious eyes locked onto his parents. "You say you've been watching everything I've been doing, you have no idea what's been happening to me!" He stamped his foot and the karma sparked in response. "This is all your doing!" He shouted, pressing his paw to his right cheek, indicating his scarred figure. "You all did this to me!"

"Certo, you need to calm down." Enigma ordered, stepping up beside Star.

"I will not be told what to do by any of you! I never did! I never will! You can say you're sorry as much as you want, but there's no way I can ever forgive you for what you've done!"

"We understand that." Bronze growled, trying to get his son's attention. "But we are not here to debate that point."

"Then why are you here?" Certo snorted, flexing his claws.

"You must bring an end to Neros's genocide." His mother replied. "If you let him live, then he will decimate dragon-kind without mercy."

"That's nothing new to me." Certo scoffed. "If you were really paying attention, you'd know that he's been at it for months now."

"Certo, he was only holding back because he was after your girlfriend!" Ebony retorted. "But now that she's gone, nothing is keeping him from becoming the monster he wants to be."

"My only duty was to ensure that Crona got home safely! I've done that and I'm done now! I'm done fighting" Certo bellowed. "And I'm done with all of you!" He turned away and began to walk, not realizing he was not moving anywhere.

"She's not safe Certo." Star piped up.

Certo stopped and looked back at his family with his crimson eye. "Explain."

"Neros is still alive. He's the dominating dragon in the world and with that power of his, he's nearly unstoppable. Everything is being thrown into chaos because of his negative energy."

"Oh for chronicler's sake!" Certo rolled his eyes and curled his lips again. "You're not going to start gabbing about that whole balance bit are you? I've heard enough of that from Crona, and Sin for that matter! I don't need you preaching to me about the balance of the world."

Bronze frowned. "Certo, if you don't get up, right now, then dragons will go extinct and your dragoness will no longer exist either."

"Don't you dare threaten Crona like that." Certo growled, lowering his body to the ground and facing his father in an attack stance. "I'll make you sorry if you even try and harm her."

"We aren't the ones harming her Certo." Enigma snapped. "You are!"

"Why you pompous…" Certo was suddenly stopped by a scream that echoed in his mind.

"Certo!" Crona's voice stabbed at his heart.

"Crona?" The black dragon lifted his head and looked around the white void surrounding him. "Crona where are you!"

"Help us!" She pleaded, the sobs echoing behind her voice.

Certo's eyes fell upon his family who only stared with blank expressions on their faces.

"What do I have to do to protect Crona? What do I have to do to save her future?"

"Finish what you started with Neros." Star answered. "You must kill him in order to save your dragoness and the future of dragons everywhere."

"And how do you expect me to do that?" Certo leered at her. "In case you haven't noticed…"

"Take our energy Certo." Siren coaxed, stepping forward and extending a paw to him. "Take our spirits with you and finish the job."

"Come with us, my child." Bronze murmured. "Take our powers and help the ones you care for."

Certo stared at his family with distrusting eyes. He did not want to do anything for them or by their terms. After another moment of hesitation, he grit his teeth and stepped forward.

Neros limped back towards the dragon city at a snail's pace. His broken forelimb was unable to support any weight and his wing muscles had been torn to shreds by his brother's teeth. If he were to attempt to fly now he would only suffer more serious injuries and possibly handicap himself for the remainder of his life. The albino hissed in irritation as the burning feeling continued to sweep up his forearm into his shoulder. He had half a mind to go back and desecrate Certo's body where it lay.

The pale-skinned male stopped and thought about that choice. In the distance the sounds of fighting were beginning to die away. The dragons of the city were managing to push back the invading apes, judging by the flashes of fire and lightning. Even with his poor vision, Neros could feel the differences in the air temperature with each flare given off. He growled to himself and snorted. If he could not have what he truly had come for, then he could at least wipe this wretched place from existence.

Neros sucked in a deep breath, letting the frosty air cool his temper. He took a staggered step forward before suddenly being hit from behind. The albino staggered and bellowed in pain as Certo dug his teeth into the base of his neck. The black dragon's scars blazed with hot karma and both his eyes radiated with the crimson energy. Neros thrashed about, trying to toss his sibling off while maintaining his balance on his one good foreleg. He rammed his side against a tree, missing his target and only enticing Certo to dig his claws in deeper. The smell of burning flesh filled the air as karma seared Neros's scales into a mangled mesh. Neros bucked and flailed himself desperately trying to escape from the smaller dragon latched onto his back.

A sudden pressure struck Neros, causing him to rear his head to the sky in a bloody roar. Blood sprayed from his opened wound and across his pale, yellow scales. Certo yanked his tail blade back, dragging it across Neros's chest. The wound was not deep but it was enough to aggravate his twin even more. The albino reared back and hurled himself against the nearest mass he could find. Certo released his hold and tumbled to the ground as Neros rammed his back against the tree trunk, knocking the wind out of himself at the same time.

By now both dragons were winded, Neros from the surprise attack, Certo from the loss of blood. Neros could feel his brother's body trembling and struggling to stay standing. He gave a slight smile before another stab of pain hit him in the neck. Purple flames blazed around him, petrifying the trees and charring the rock black. With a powerful kick from his hind legs, Neros launched himself forward.

Certo's head shot forward and fired a bolt of karma. The shot struck the adult dragon in the face, but his bulk kept moving. Neros's body hit the ground, knocking Certo out of the way. For several minutes, neither dragon moved. Neros was the first to get up, wheezing and slightly whimpering under the stress of his broken leg. Certo's breathing was severely labored as he tried to move. He could sense his brother limping over towards him, an intent to finish him off clear in his heavy steps.

"Get up," he screamed in his mind. "Get up, now!"

A shaper point jabbed him in the back; Neros's wing barb. The albino dragon craned his bleeding neck down, his warm blood dripping onto his smaller twin. "This time, you die for good." He pulled his barb back, ready to finish the job.

A shriek ripped form Certo's lungs and karma burst from his body. Neros bellowed in surprise as the mass exertion of energy sent him flying into the air. The cry from the wounded black dragon grew louder as the crimson light shot into the sky, turning the clouds blood-red. Bolts of red lightning cut across the sky before striking the young male dragon. The sudden surge hit Certo like a crumbling mountain and his jaws opened wide. Neros's eyes widened as a supercharge bolt of Karma rushed up to claim his life. The dragon's instincts kicked in and a barrier of violet energy formed to block the initial strike before giving way to the overwhelming force. Neros's cry echoed across the forest until it reached the city. Every ape and dragon stopped what they were doing as the light show intensified.

Neros gasped for air but he no longer had his lungs to breathe. A massive hole had been burned through his torso, leaving only charred flesh and bone. The light of karma began to fade away as the albino fell to the ground with a loud thud, splattering blood across the snow. The ruby-red eyes stared blankly at the world before they began to glaze over.

"I can't believe it. I had all the power at my disposal." Neros gasped to himself. "I had the advantage. I thought I had killed him. What happened? How did he survive to… to beat me?"

"That would be our fault." The albino turned around to see a vast expanse of white before him. Neros's jaw dropped in shock at the sight of his family before him.

"Welcome back son." Bronze bobbed his head.

"You!" Neros growled and spread his wings wide. It was then he noticed his body was back to normal, his adolescent looks and energy, returned to their natural state. "What's happened to me? What did you do?"

You used magic that was not yours to begin with." Star answered. "But I think you look better for it."

"How dare you mock me!" Neros snarled, charging forward, his eyes blazing with convexity energy. He lunged for Star only to hit a barrier of light.

"We aren't mocking you Neros." Ebony spoke up. "We're here to welcome you to rest in peace with us."

The black dragon's words slapped Neros across the face. "You… you what?"

"Come home to us Neros." His mother coaxed in a soothing voice. "It's time to rest. All of us."

Neros was dumbstruck. His body shuddered, unable to comprehend what he was seeing. Was he dead? Possibly. Could he return? Certo did, so why couldn't he? Did karma make his twin immortal? No, that was impossible. Not after a fatal wound like that.

"Neros…" Star's voice tickled his senses again. "Will you come with us?"

The albino's eyes lifted to his family, staring at the faces that watched him hopefully.

"No!" He growled, his body becoming ablaze once more. "I will never forgive any of you! You're all worse monsters than I am! And I will have nothing to do with you! I will not let dragon-kind continue to exist in such a sinful way!"

"Neros, we're dead." Ebony shook his head. "There's nothing more for us to do."

"I'll find a way!" The young male fumed. "I've always found a way on my own! And that will never change!" A roar and burst of violent purple fire blinded the black dragons. They blinked once and then Neros was gone.

"Neros!" Siren called desperately, praying that he was alright.

"Let him go." Bronze ordered. "He has made his choice. And we are no longer part of his world."

The apes fled the city as fast as their legs could carry them. The remaining sentries, wounded and winded pursued them to the edges of the city before succumbing to their injuries.

"They could have had us." Cytros wheezed as he watched his soldiers.

"So why did they retreat?" Nitrus gasped. Both dragons were bleeding heavily, and struggling to stay on their feet. Cytros's wing was hanging limp at his size, nearly severed by an axe-like weapon. Nitrus could only look on with his one remaining eye as the hoots and howls disappeared into the forest.

"I have a feeling it might be because they lost their backbone." The fire guardian muttered, looking in the direction that the bolt of lightning had struck. We should go and make sure the others are all right."

"Agreed." Nitrus nodded weakly. "I will tend to the civilians. You see to your guards. If there are any lingering foes, sound the alarm."

"Understood."

Nitrus broke away from the fire dragon, staggering drunkenly up the hill towards the library. All around he could see bodies of dragons and apes alike, their blood trickling through the streets. "So many, gone." He thought to himself as he passed by a mauled mother and her offspring. The sight made him sick and even more exhausted than before. They had stayed off the invaders, but at such a heavy price. As he passed by the gardens bellow the library, he stopped. The beautiful botanicals were torn up and trampled; the small dragon statues and fountains had been smashed to bits in a direct act of vandalism.

The guardian was about to move on when he spotted a body that stood out from the rest. He ducked under the entrance archway, only to have it crumble around him. Nitrus stood beside the body with his mouth hung open in dismay. A sigh whispered from his jaws, filling the air with more frost as he stared down at the young water dragon at his feet. Cryus's body was half submerged in the chilling pond water, with his upper torso slumped onto the wet bank. The young dragon's wounds were relatively minor, except for the wide open laceration across his throat. His mouth hung open and his wide eyes stared out into space in frozen shock and disbelief.

Nitrus felt the hot tears burn his eyes and he squeezed them shut to force them out. When he was able to see once more, he scooped a paw under the water dragon's hindquarters and coiled him into a fetal position on the bank of the pond before closing his eyes to rest in peace.

The library was dead silent as Nitrus approached it. The body of Stratus lay limp just in front of the entrance partly blocking the way in. Nitrus ground his teeth together in hot frustration. How many had really perished in this attack? Was his family even alive anymore? What would he do if they were among the numerous casualties?

Not wishing to ponder such a horrid thought, Nitrus made his way inside. Bodies of apes were scattered everywhere along with the body of a single dragon, spearheaded to death from above. The bodies of the apes were charred from electrical surges, perhaps from the lightning dragon who had fallen here. The doors of the shelter were sealed tight, though noticeable claw marks had been made at the apes failed attempts at getting inside.

The sudden movement caused the ice dragon to whirl with speed he no longer thought he possessed. Several ape bodies began to heave and shift off the floor. A moment later a head popped out from under them.

"Ampus!" Nitrus gasped with relief. "Thank the ancestors you're alive! What are you doing outside the shelter? You were supposed to protect Terra and Maya."

The young guardian panted hard, exhausted and barely able to stand on his own feet. "They're safely inside." He choked, the stench of the apes nearly smothering him. "Terra…" Amp could not support himself any more. He dropped to the floor, startling the ice guardian. Nitrus pulled his son in-law close to him in a protective hug.

"You've done me proud, son. Rest."

"Thank you." Amp whimpered before falling asleep at his mentor's feet. Nitrus smiled and lifted his eyes back to the great iron doors. He lumbered closer to them and gave them three heavy slams with his tail. "All is safe. You may come out now." He called, his voice echoing in the vast chamber. Several tense minutes went by without a sound. Then with a loud groan the doors began to slide open. The first to emerge was a young fire-breather, about half of Nitrus's age.

"My guardian." He bowed and dropped his gaze to the floor. "Thank the ancestors you have come for us."

"Is all well?" Another young female asked shakily, poking her head out of the shadows.

Nitrus sighed as he stared at them. "Come. You must not linger here for long. There are wounded who need to be tended to, and dead who need to be buried."

The dragons looked at each other before slinking out past the ice guardian. Nitrus waited patiently as one by one the surviving population emerged into the cold midday winter air. It pained him greatly as he listened to the gasps and comments of shock at the sights of the devastation. Then the sobbing came and Nitrus was nearly brought to tears himself.

"Nitrus!" The ice dragon lifted his head to see Thundra emerge from the darkness, a look of relief plastered on her face.

"My dearest!" Nitrus nearly choked on his words before sharing a loving nuzzle with his mate. "How are the children? Were they able to get to safety on time?"

Thundra was silent for a moment before glancing back at the darkness of the shelter. "I suppose in the greater picture, they could have suffered worse. What happens now will be left between them and fate."

"Terra…Maya… are they?" Nitrus wheezed, not wanting to imagine the worst.

"Maya is fine, if not a little scared. "Terra… has…" Thundra's voice trailed off and she turned to disappear back inside the shelter. Moments later she reappeared, Terra dangling limply from her back. Beside her stood Sabre, a caste of ice covering her right eye. Nitrus's eyes widened at the sight of the stump where his daughter's leg had once been. The young dragoness looked rather sickly and thin from the loss of blood. Then the true surprise came when she opened her eyes, just slightly, and long enough to look up at him before closing once more.

"Do what you have to." Nitrus murmured to his life mate. "If you need any further assistance, I will be there."

"I will do my best." Thundra bobbed her head, understanding that there was going to be a lot to do in the coming days. "You may wish to get Maya. Vixen is trying to get her out of the back of the cave."

Nitrus sighed again. The little dragoness must have been so terrified that she would not leave the safety of the shelter. Nitrus ducked inside and made his way to the far back of the tunnel. The shelter opened up to a small garden, barely large enough to hold three adult dragons. The entire area was covered in light blue flowers, untouched by the winter snow. Sitting in the corner, was Maya, trying to conceal herself in amongst the memoriums. As Nitrus looked down at her, he noticed her wings wrapping protectively around a black egg. The little dragoness looked up at her father with a look that seemed almost defiant, as if she were expecting him to take it away from her.

"Come Maya." Nitrus coaxed, trying to appear unfazed by his wounds. "Your mother needs you to come out of hiding."

"No!" Maya snapped and pulled the egg tighter to her stomach. "I'm not leaving!"

"It's all ok now." Nitrus whispered, leaning his head down to be at eye level with her. "You're going to be safe."

"I don't care!" Maya shouted, her tone verging on that of a temper tantrum.

The ice dragon sighed, too tired to argue with his youngest offspring. "Maya, you can't stay here forever. You have to come out at some point."

"I'm protecting Certo's egg! He asked me to!" She pouted crossly, glaring at her father.

The guardian was silent for a moment. "Tell you what. Why don't you come out of hiding, and as soon as we can, we'll go look for Certo. I'm sure he'll be happy to know that his niece is safe."

Maya stared suspiciously at him, before unfolding her wing from around Pip's egg. Nitrus reached out to pick the egg up but Maya hissed and sparks shot from her mouth. "I want to hold it!"

After another sigh, Nitrus gave in. He leaned forward, picked Maya up by her tail and lay her on his back between his shoulder blades. The little dragoness held onto the egg for dear life, never letting it move an inch from her grasp. She hunkered down into the crevice on her father's back as they returned to the library through the cave entrance. Once they exited, Nitrus glanced back at her. "Close your eyes Maya. Do not open them until I tell you."

The dragoness shut her eyes and covered her head with a wing until she was certain her father was no longer looking. When he started moving, she cracked one eye open and peered out from under her winged shield. Maya remained absolutely silent and still as her father walked past the hundreds of bodies on the ground. She curled into a tighter ball around Pip's egg.

"Maya." Nitrus scolded, glancing back over his shoulder. The lightning dragoness squeaked and ducked under her wing in fright. Nitrus could only shake his head. This would not be the last time she would see death before her life ended. The ice guardian made his way to the central plaza where the survivors had gathered, mourning for their losses. Captain Cytros was nowhere to be seen in the crowd. Nitrus instead had to rely on the nearest sentry he could find, bloodied from the fight but not too horribly. "How bad is it?"

"Worse than we've ever had." The earth dragon muttered. "Over half the guard was wiped out. Those of us who are left…" He glanced over to the temple of the guardians where the healer dragons were busily attending to the wounded. It was nearly impossible to tell the difference between who had suffered minor injuries and who was in more critical condition.

"I see. Where is the Captain?"

"He's being tended to at the moment." The dragon replied. "Your wife was… rather insistent on it."

If the circumstances had been better, the ice dragon would have laughed; but now was hardly the time.

"Do you know where Lieutenant Voltrus is?"

"He's gone sir." The sentry replied, glancing over to a lonesome lightning dragoness sitting beside the doors to the temple.

Nitrus hissed and frost blew from between his teeth. "Who is in charge of the guard then?" A sigh was all the sentry could respond with. Nitrus, feeling the frustration building up over the hopelessness of the situation, took a stance and straightened himself up. "Then I will place you in charge for the time being. Once Cytros is back on duty, he will help be the judge of what happens next."

"Yes sir." The sentry saluted.

"Gather others and assign them ranks of command. We are going to need all the support from one another as of this moment. Do I make myself clear?"

"Understood."

"Daddy." Maya whimpered, peeking her head out from under her wing to look up at him.

"Has there been any sight of Certo? I have a sneaking suspicion that he has brought down his brother."

"None as of yet sir. Is that what the apes fled for? That their leader was defeated? They could have had us."

"I believe so." Nitrus sighed. "But for now let's be thankful to the young dragon."

"Yes sir. I will assign a pair of scouts to look for him."

"Thank you. It will put this little one's mind at ease." Nitrus gave his daughter a quick glance before she ducked back under her wing.

Crona stared in wide-eyed shock at the page before her. The picture illustrated on the page depicted the black dragon collapsed in the snow. The images in Crona's mind showed his breathing steadily slowing until it came to a stop. The chronicler watched as the light died from his eyes and the sound of his thumping heart disappeared.

Her head began to shake from side to side as she came out of her horrified trance. "No," she murmured. "No this… this can't be happening." She dropped the book from its hovering position with a loud thud. Ignitus jumped from the sudden noise. The former guardian moved to comfort the young dragoness, but stopped when another book floated down from the darkness of the shelves overhead. Almost immediately he recognized it; The Book of Dragons Passed. Crona frantically flipped through its pages, scanning each page with her eyes in a matter or seconds, looking for the name of the black dragon.

"Crona, slow down." Ignitus coaxed, placing a paw on her back. Crona shrugged him off and continued to flip through the pages.

"Where is he?" She hissed to herself, trying to find Certo's name. "He has to be in here! He has to be! He can't not be!" Crona stopped and took in several deep breathes to calm herself. Ignitus watched as she placed her paws on the pages before her and a light blue aura surrounded her forelimbs. The book began to glow as well, intensifying with each passing second. At last Crona lifted her head to look back at the new chronicler. "He's not in here." She squeaked, her voice ready to break at any moment.

"Are you certain?"

"Positive." Crona nodded. "I don't sense his presence any more. He's… It's like he doesn't exist anymore! Not even as a spirit!"

"Odd..." Ignitus squinted at the books lying before the young chronicler.

Crona went back to Certo's book and flipped to the next page. It was blank. She flipped to the next page; it too was blank. The dragoness flipped over and over looking for a picture, a letter, anything to tell her what was going on. When nothing appeared, she felt the strength leave her limbs and she collapsed onto his book in a fit of tears. "What is going on?" She cried. "I don't understand! How could he be dead and not listed in this book!" She thrust a frustrated paw in the direction of the book next to her. "He can't be gone! He can't be!"

"Crona…I'm sorry." Ignitus murmured, draping a wing around her. "I'm sure he was a special friend to you."

"Special? Crona jerked away from him and gave a disgusted scowl. "Certo means everything to me! He's not just special, he's… he's…" She hunger her head, unable to find the words she wanted. "He didn't deserve what he got. Not one bit of it! I know he's a jerk, stubborn and impulsive, but he didn't deserve to suffer!"

"I'm sorry my dear." Ignitus apologized, withdrawing his wing. "You seem to have known his for a very long time." Crona only curled her lip but made no other noise. It had felt like years, despite having only known the black dragon over the space of several months. "Perhaps you may do something special to honor his memory."

Crona looked up at the chronicler, her eyes puffy and red crying. After a moment of silence an idea popped into her mind. "You're right. I know what I can do for him." She backed away, and held her paw up. The power of the blue mist came easily in this sacred palace and gathered before her. Crona squinted hard as she searched for the flow of natural elements to combine with the magic of the world and her own inner strength. She was still fatigued from summoning so much energy earlier, but now she was really beginning to feel its weight on her back.

"Crona, what are you doing!" Ignitus exclaimed, suddenly frightened by the dragoness's sudden burst of power.

Crona ignored him, forcing herself to cause the white light glowing around her paw to expand, wider and wider. She struggled physically and mentally, trying to maintain her state of concentration until at long last she managed to force open a significantly smaller time portal; this time being just barely her own height.

Ignitus watched as she stood before the spiraling cloud of magic, gasping heavily from the exertion. "Crona, is that what I think it is?"

The young chronicler fixed him with her blue eyes. "Yes. I'm going back for him! I can save him. I can bring him here and he won't have to be unhappy any longer."

"That is not your choice to make Crona." Ignitus scolded sharply.

"Of course it is!" She shot back. "I know what I'm doing!"

"Do you?" Ignitus demanded, refraining from raising his voice as much as possible. "Have you mastered this ability yet? Because from the looks of it, I would sincerely doubt that you've just barely learned how to make it work."

"I said I know what I'm doing Ignitus!" Crona snarled, her tail twitching in anger. Why was he trying to stop her? He should understand her. He was the chronicler after all.

"Crona, for all you know you could completely miss your target and wind up who knows where! Then what good would that be doing your friend? And even more importantly, you could be jeopardizing the entirety of our world by doing that!"

"I don't care! I am sick and tired of just standing by and watching him suffer all the time!" She took a step forward only to find the master chronicler's wing blocking her way.

"Crona, you have no idea what you are doing right now! You are acting on impulse instead of being the thoughtful calculating dragoness that you are. You a Chronicler. You of all dragons should know better."

"But Ignitus, it's not right!" Crona shouted furiously. "You should know that yourself!"

"His destiny has been fulfilled Crona. You have to accept that."

"I will never accept that!" Crona shook her head frantically. "I was told his future lies with me! What else could it have meant?"

"I cannot say." Ignitus shook his head. "But perhaps it was meant to say that it lay with you getting home safely."

"That's no true." Crona sniffled, lowering her head.

"You know that you can not just go jumping from time period to time period."

"You don't understand…" Crona sniffled, lowering her head.

"You are correct. I most likely don't. But it may be for the best of everyone if history remains the way it has been."

The master chronicler lowered his wing and Crona stared longingly at the portal she had created. He was right. She had no way of knowing when and where she might end up. She could not stand to leave Certo alone, but the mere thought of not being able to be of any help to her closest friend was even more tormenting.

The young dragoness's eye began to burn with hot, salty tears as she felt her heart tear in two. She turned away, sobbing down the long halls of the palace of time. Ignitus watched her with a saddened expression as her weeping echoed down the long corridors. He glanced back at the open book and studied the illustration of the dying black dragon.

"I am sorry." He whispered in a private prayer. "May you rest in peace young dragon." The chronicler's eyes lifted from the page to the portal and watched as it slowly began to fade away.

The End


	38. Chapter 38

A sonic roar ripped through the training grounds of Warfang. The purple dragon dove out of the way as the tress surrounding him turned to splinters. The black dragoness lunged forward, turning her roar to a hiss. The wind caught the opposing dragon's wings, slamming him back into the stone wall.

The purple dragon released a wave of ice particles, only to have them blown back into his face, stinging his eyes. He snarled in irritation, flames licking at the edges of his jaws. The dragoness sprang into the air as her opponent thrust his head forward, spewing a white hot stream of fire from his throat. When the flames hit nothing but air, he stopped momentarily, giving the dragoness the chance to strike. She sprang off the wall she had leaped towards and struck the dragon in the side. The two tumbled over one another, snarling and clawing like a pair of angry lions.

Overhead, their classmates watched as the adolescent dragons fought for superiority. A lightning dragoness watched the black dragon with an intense stare, her talons digging into the stone beneath her feet. This was a sight all too familiar to her. It had only intensified over the last decade and a half as the black dragoness continued to grow.

At last the dragoness managed to pin her opponent. The young male snarled furiously and struck at her with his jaws. The female jerked her head to the side, and pinned his throat to the ground with her wing barbs.

"Match!" The guardian announced. Shurahn, an ice dragon, rose from his seated position above the sparring ring. He was had always been rather impressed with the ferocity of the black dragoness ever since she was young. She had managed to keep in perfect stride with the purple male, who had, astonishingly enough, appeared to possess the power to wield more than one element.

"No!" The male gagged against the pointed bone in his throat. "I'm not done yet!"

"I think it's safe to say you are for this match." The female pointed out, pressing her barb into his soft neck to reassure her point. "But think of it as a learning experience." She suggested, pulling away and stepping off of him.

"Don't you lecture me you inferior maggot!" The male was on his feet in an instant. He swung at her with his talons only to have the female raise her tail blade to him. The mercury blade stabbed him in the paw, stopping him almost instantly. The male bellowed in pain before flexing his claws around her tail. An agonized scream ripped through the air as electricity surged through the female's body. It only lasted for a moment, but it was long enough to drop her to the ground.

"Malefor, that is enough!" Shurahn fumed, leaping towards him. The purple dragon backed away before he was crushed under the weight of the guardian. He glared at the dragoness as she struggled to stand up. She was dazed and numb, making her senses all the more awkward.

She turned her blue eyes on him and hissed in disgust. "Loser."

That word sent Malefor over the edge. His head shot forward and another bolt of lightning burst from his jaws. Shurahn opened his wing, shielding the dragoness and taking the hit himself. The adult male howled as his body ceased to function. He convulsed before hitting the ground with a loud thud. A gasp of shock and horror came from the young dragons watching all around. Malefor paid them no attention as he watched the black dragoness stand up. She placed a paw against the neck of the ice dragon who had protected her, and was grateful to find a heartbeat.

"What is the matter with you!" She snapped, glaring back at her opponent. "You just struck down a guardian! Don't you have any sense of self control?"

"I only care about winning!" Malefor growled. "That's all I'm here for!"

"You are so arrogant! It's no wonder no one can stand to spar with you!"

"It's because they're all weak!" Malefor scoffed, looking up at his peers. "It's not my fault they can't fight on my level. They're all just inferior."

"And you think that you aren't? Just because you have shoot more than one element out of that ugly face of yours?"

Malefor curled his lip at first but then smiled. "Isn't it obvious? The strong are not inferior because they are at the top of the ladder."

"You had best watch yourself Malefor." The dragoness sneered. "You may have more abilities than the rest of us, but your position at the top won't last forever."

"And you think you'll be the one to beat me?" Malefor nearly laughed in the dragoness's face.

The female only straightened herself up, thrusting her chest out in an open display of superiority. "I just won our little match didn't I? I was barely even putting out half of my power. Because unlike you, I don't go out of my way to hurt others who are supposed to be my teammates."

"I am not your teammate!" Malefor bellowed. "I refuse to be paired with a weakling like you."

"So says the purple dragon who just lost the match to me."

Malefor's claws dug into the ground and sparks began to crackle around his teeth. A bolt of lightning struck him in the side, stunning him. The young dragons all looked up to see Amp towering over the sparring ring. The guardian's long quills stood erect, buzzing with anger. Malefor gasped for breath, trying to regain control of his tingling limbs. The other dragons backed away, lowering themselves to the ground, clearly afraid of the anger being displayed by their head mentor.

"Malefor, you listen and you listen good." His deep voice rumbled against the stone floor. "I have tried to be understanding. I've been encouraging. But as of late you have been trying the patience of myself as well as the other guardians. You hold no contempt or remorse for your fellow classmates, despite our instructions for you to show restraint with many of them! But this display of defiance is the last straw! I will not have you disrespect the guardians, or your fellow dragons any longer."

"So what?" Malefor snorted, clearly bored with the guardian's rant. "What are you going to do? Send me to my room?"

"I want you gone." Amp snarled. "As of this moment I am banishing you from our society. You have no interest in being a part of it, so I see no reason to keep you around."

"What?" Malefor gasped, his golden-yellow eyes growing wide in astonishment. "You can't do that!"

The guardian hit the ground, and shook the rock beneath the youngling's feet. "I just did." Amp growled, lowering his head towards the young dragon.

"You can't banish me! You need me! You even said so yourself!"

"I may have said that in the past." Amp muttered. "But right now you are more of a hindrance than a help. Now leave us at once! You are no longer welcome here."

Malefor stood dumbstruck before the lightning dragon. His eyes swept around at his peers who all stared at him with contempt in their eyes. Seeing that he was not going to get any help from them he bared his teeth and gave a curt turn away from Amp, slapping his forelimb with his spiked tail. The guardian ignored the gesture as he watched the young male spread his wings. Malefor glanced back at him with a scornful expression on his face.

Then it happened. Malefor's eyes gave a flash of violet light. It was only a split second, but it was enough to send a bolt of fear through Amp's body. Malefor failed to notice the guardian's muscles tense and turned to take off over the heads of his fellow dragons. The youngsters all watched him leave, except Maya, who descended the stairs to the sparring ring.

"Are you alright, Pip?" Amp asked as he turned to look down at the black dragoness.

"Peachy." She answered, putting on a show of toughness.

Amp could only crack a half smile before tending to his unconscious comrade. Shurahn was breathing somewhat forcefully. Being an ice dragon, he would be retaining the electric current within his ice-covered body. Amp, set a paw over his large paw onto his shoulder, withdrawing the excess charge from the ice guardian. Almost immediately, Shurahn began to breathe more normally.

"You young ones should leave here for the time being." Amp suggested, glancing at his sister in-law.

"Understood." Maya bowed respectfully. "We'll see you at home later. Hopefully."

The lightning dragoness motioned for Pip to follow her back up the stairs. The females walked past their peers, their heads swaggering in a way that motioned that there were to be no more lessons that day.

Maya waited until they were alone before speaking. "Are you really okay Pip? I mean, it's Malefor. He doesn't know control in the slightest."

Pip would have scoffed at her best friend's words if she were in a better mood. "I can't afford to let myself be hurt by a selfish schmuck like him. My uncle wouldn't have cared about him." Pip picked up her pace leading Maya towards the upper levels of the city. The dragoness walked in silence until she came to the top most tower of Warfang. Here was her favorite spot in the world where she could look out over the entire landscape for miles. "Maya…Did I do right? I mean… was it something my uncle would have done?"

Maya sighed sadly. Learning about her deceased uncle was something Pip had always been obsessed with since birth. She constantly asked to hear stories about Certo, wanting nothing more than to model herself after him.

"I'm sure he would have acted very similarly." Maya replied after a minute of thinking. "He never liked the idea of others being looked down on or being called inferior in any way shape or form."

"Do you think…he would be proud of me. If he were still alive today?"

"I'm sure he would be." Maya nodded, sitting down beside her.

A long silence passed between them as they stared out at the clouds drifting by over the horizon. "How come no one found anything?" Pip asked, shifting her talons nervously. She knew the answer would still be the same, but it was always something she had puzzled over every night.

"Pip we've been over this a billion times before."

"It doesn't make any sense to me!" Pip protested. "No one ever found his body. That would mean he was still alive somewhere right? So why didn't he come back? Why didn't he come back for me?"

"Pip, it's not so much about coming back for you." Maya sighed, draping her wing around her friend's shoulders. "Certo… he was strong. Determined. And he never would have left you if he could help it…"

"Then what do you think happened to him?" Pip mumbled, biting her lower lip to keep from breaking down. All she had ever wanted was to know her uncle, or at the bare minimum meet any family she was related to.

Maya was silent for a long time as she pondered her answer. "I wish he were still out there sometimes. But in reality I… I'm certain he's no longer with us…" She glanced down at Pip before she could ask another question. "Physically. His soul is probably watching over us as we speak."

Pip cooed softly and let the warm breeze of the late autumn afternoon brush her wings. She liked that idea, even if she could not see her idol. More silence passed before the black dragoness came up with another question. "What do you think he would be like? If he were still with us?"

Maya smiled to herself as she drifted off into a light daydream. "He'd probably be a fighter for us. Maybe he would have been a guardian too, though I doubt it was ever in his character to desire such a high social status."

"What would he look like?" Pip asked, deeply intrigued by her fellow dragoness's thoughts.

"Oh, his scales would be just as glossy and smooth even after all the fights he had been in. He'd be tall, long and sleek, but still muscular. Not at all week. He would probably have more scars but they would just add to his overall appearance as a well experienced male." She glanced at Pip. "After all, you both are feral-born. It was just more obvious with him." Maya sighed and smiled into the sunlight, letting her facial scales warm up. "And he would be oh so handsome too."

Pip's head lifted off her paws as she stared at maya who was daydreaming with her eyes closed. When she felt the black dragoness's eyes on her, she shied behind her wing. "Sorry. I had a little bit of a crush on him back then."

"So I see." Pip replied with an amused chuckle. "So those other females weren't the only ones."

Maya blushed slightly as she positioned herself to appear more composed. "I could get away with it because I was so much younger." Maya pointed out. "Not like the other females who were getting ready to hit their breading maturity."

"And knowing you, i'm sure you exploited every moment you could." Pip teased, letting her long tongue flicker between her teeth.

"Oh stop it!" Maya giggled, pushing her away. The two females let out a much needed laugh and continued to watch the landscape beyond the great city.

"Are you certain you'll be alright?" Amp asked the ice guardian. He had summoned the guardians to Shurahn's chambers where they could speak.

"I'm fine Ampus." He waved off. "Please, we have more pressing matters at hand."

"Yes, speaking of which." Baltar, the guardian of earth growled. "What is this I hear about you banishing Malefor? I feel that was a very rash and reckless mistake on your part."

"I would be inclined to agree with Baltar." Vixen nodded. "He was our secret weapon in this war against the apes."

"I know what I did was rather extreme." Amp replied. "But even you must take notice that he has been steadily going awol over the past months, growing stronger in ability but shrinking in compassion towards his fellow dragons."

"I am inclined to agree with Ampus." Shurahn spoke up. "The other dragons, no matter what their skill level, have stopped wanting to pair up with him due to his overly aggressive behavior and his condescending attitude."

"The one exception being Certo's niece as always?" Vixen asked with a raised brow.

"That's beside the point." Amp answered, giving the fire dragoness a stern look.

"So was it worth it?" Baltar demanded. "Sending off the one chance we had to win this war swiftly just because of some disciplinary issues?"

"There's more to it than just that!" Amp snarled, sparks snapping around his teeth and his quills standing erect. "We have a much bigger problem concerning Malefor now, other than just his attitude."

"And that would be?" The earth dragon raised a skeptical brow, waiting for the chance to undermine the lightning dragon's rebuttal.

"Convexity." Amp answered, a growl rumbling in his throat.

"Convexity?" The earth and ice guardians gave each other puzzled looks before realizing that Amp and Vixen were sharing a stare between them. The dragoness's frills were pinned back, more in fear than anger.

"Malefor has the power of convexity?" She nearly choked. "How? When? How did we not notice before?"

"I don't have the answer to that." Amp shook his head. "But I would know that energy anywhere. And judging by his attitude, I'm worried he may become like…" He lowered his head to the floor and Vixen knew who he was talking about.

"Certo's brother."

"What in the ancestor's name are you two talking about?" Baltar demanded. "What is convexity?"

Amp spent the better part of an hour, explaining everything he knew about the violet energy he had seen in the young Malefor's eyes. All the while Baltar and Shurahn listened in utter silence as Amp described the incidents where he had seen this power in use.

"So what are we to do about this?" Shurahn asked, an almost frightened tone in his voice. "Should we go find him and bring him back? Maybe then we can keep a closer eye on him and possibly learn more about where he got this power, or maybe keep him from using it."

"I don't think that's going to matter." The guardians heads turned around to see a young, white, wingless dragon standing in the doorway.

"Master Oracle!" Amp and Vixen both bowed immediately upon recognizing Sin.

"It is good to see you again." Vixen said with a smile on her muzzle. "We haven't seen you in years. We were beginning to believe you had been killed."

Sin only gave a light chuckle. "Hardly my dear. But it is good to see you both again. And how you have both grown, it is a shame that i do not share the same ability." Both guardians shared a laugh, which was swiftly interrupted by the grumpy earth guardian.

"Who are you?" Baltar demanded. "And what gives you the right to interrupt our…"

"Baltar! Show some manners!" Ampus snarled, instantly silencing the earth dragon. "You may not have been raised in the same city as me, but Sin is my guest and you will show him the hospitality he deserves!"

The earth dragon growled, glaring at Amp then bowing before the oracle. "Forgive my rudeness. These are very… trying times."

"And they will only become moreso." Sin replied with a forgiving bob of his head. His white eyes locked on Amp and Vixen. "I apologize for my sudden appearance but I am here on business."

"Business?" Amp cocked his head to the side curiously.

"The descendent of our late friend Certo. She is still in your care is she not?"

"Pip? Absolutely." Amp nodded.

"Good. I wish to speak with her. If that is alright with you."

"You know you don't need to ask me for such a favor." Amp smiled. "But I will take you to her." The lightning guardian glanced back at Vixen and the others. "If you will excuse us."

Amp and Sin walked in silence as they made their way across the city. Amp's quills remained erect, humming with electrical energy. Sin did not feel the need to glance at the guardian, but could feel his tension about the situation. Saying anything would not help ease the dragon's stress.

At last they arrived at their residential quarters. Amp held the curtain open and ducked inside after Sin.

"Master Oracle!" Thundra exclaimed, nearly dropping a container of water in the process. "I had no idea you were within the city! Welcome!" She gave a gracious bow as Maya and Pip appeared from the back chamber. Seeing the dragoness behave so formally, they followed her example. From another chamber, limped an ice dragoness. Terra hobbled in a lopsided manner into the front chamber of their home. Her severed limb had long since recovered, but the emotional and mental scars still showed. She was much thinner than she should have been, making Amp extremely concerned for her well-being for when she would eventually bear offspring. But Terra continued to live on, one day at a time, doing her best to be the life mate she had always wanted to be.

"Thank you for your graciousness." Sin bobbed his head in response. "I'm here on private business and was hoping to have a little time to talk to Pip."

"Pip?" Everyone turned their eyes on the black dragoness who looked just as confused at this request.

Feeling the attention move to her made the dragoness nervous, and she rolled her shoulders as a sign of discomfort.

"I think we should let you two have some time," Amp suggested to the rest of the family. "If you wish, Pip's quarters are towards the back." He gave the young air dragoness a quick glance. Pip lowered her eyes and lead Sin back to her resting chamber and lay down on her large pillow, making herself more comfortable.

"I apologize for the suddenness of my visit." The oracle took a moment to stare at the black dragoness for perhaps the first time. "You really do look a lot like your uncle." Pip raised her head off her paws and studied the white dragon closely. "Yes, I did know Certo." He replied to her silent question. "It was just before this war had begun when he came to the city where Ampus and Terra once lived."

"I know that much already." Pip muttered, laying her head back down. She already knew this information and it did not interest her anymore.

"So it would appear." Sin would have chuckled if he could have. "And I assume that you know of the great power he wielded as well."

"Karma? Yes, I have the notes taken by a dragoness who helped him master it. Apparently she was his closest friend or something similar to that."

"Ah yes, my dear Crona." A smirk spread across Sin's jaws. "She was always by your uncle's side, even when the two could not get along to save their lives. A very brilliant dragoness to say the least. It's actually because of her that you're alive today?"

"Really?" Pip lifted her head again and studied the oracle's white eyes searching for any sort of visual expression.

"That she is. She was a vital asset to Ampus's home all those years ago. It's a shame she is gone now. You may have liked listening to her stories of your uncle."

"Is she…you know… dead?"

Sin sighed. "Let us just say she is no longer with us today." Pip hung her head sadly. "But at any rate, back to business. I wish to ask a favor of you, a large one in fact that may take more courage than you could realize."

"What is it?" Pip asked, lifting her eyes to the oracle.

"You said you have the notes Crona took about Karma. May I see them?"

"S-sure." Pip bobbed her head once before moving towards a stack of scrolls beside the window. She rolled the sheets of paper open and Sin studied the manuscripts for several long, quiet minutes. "Is everything okay?" Pip asked nervously after several minutes had passed.

"And this is all that you have, yes?" Pip paused for a moment. This guest seemed rather keen for his suspected age. If she wanted to withhold any information from him, she doubted that she could for very long. A sigh escaped from her and she turned back to her shelf where several more scrolls lay rolled up, having not been read in a very long time. Sin unwrapped each one, and studied it. These were not the notes of how karma was used, but the personal notes and studies of Crona's use of magic. Just what the oracle had been hoping for.

"Very good." Sin turned to face the dragoness, eye to eye. "Pip, this may be extremely hard for you, especially since you idolize your uncle as much as you do." The dragoness held her breath. "Every being has a destiny to fulfill. Your uncles destinies have been realized and carried out. And now one of yours must be so as well. I need to take these scrolls."

A bolt of lightning ripped through Pip's body and she jumped in front of Sin, cutting him off from her scrolls. "Are you insane! Not a chance! These are all I have! The only things that tell me about my uncle when he was alive! You can't take them! They're mine!"

"I understand that you have a deep-seeded attachment to them. But if the balance of the whorl is ever going to right itself, then we must have these scrolls."

"No! You can forget it!" Pip hissed. "I won't let you have them!"

The oracle sighed. He had expected this scenario, but had still hoped to avoid it. "Pip, listen to me. There is more to this world and more at stake than just you. Your uncle realized this, and I hope you will too. Sacrifices must be made for the continued survival of all dragon kind." Pip huddled around the only written remnants of her family's past, looking as if she were going to cry. She had never felt more torn up inside as she did now. If what this visitor said was true, then it would have meant her uncle was far more courageous than she ever was. Pip could hardly imagine what sacrifices he had made to preserve the balance of the world. But how could he have done such a thing when he had nothing to lose? He had no family, barely anyone that he could call friends from what she had heard, and no settled place to call home. But she had everything; others who loved her and cared for her, a place to stay and no immediate concerns for her safety. So how could she give up what was left of her origins?

Seeing that she was fighting with herself, Sin placed a paw on top of Pip's. "I will make you a trade." Pip's eyes lifted to the oracle's. "Let me take the scrolls, and in return I will give you a gift that will last longer than your own lifetime."

Pip's lip almost curled in disgust. "What could you possibly give me that would make up for relinquishing my prized possessions?"

Sin sat down and lifted a paw in the air. Magic began to emanate from his claws, forming a white cloud between them. Pip scooted back slightly, having never seen energy such as this before. The cloud slowly began to take shape and grow larger. Pip covered her eyes with a wing as the light became brighter before dying away. When she lowered her wing, her jaw fell open as she stared at the dragon standing before her. The male dragon was a few years older than she was, scales a perfect glossy black that reflected the colors of the rainbow in the sunlight. Scars etched across his hide, the most noticeable one being across his chest over his heart.

From the front room, Amp and the family poked their heads in, and their mouths fell open. "U-uncle?" Pip squeaked, stepping forward.

Certo cocked his head slightly, eyeing his niece. She really was a spitting image of her mother and father. Her scales were more pale than his own, but she still made for an attractive dragoness. Pip smiled and reached out with a paw to touch her uncle's chest only to touch air. The dragoness gave a startled gasp as the white cloud surrounding her uncle warped in response to the interference. A sad expression fell over Pip's face as did Certo's. The male glanced over his shoulder at Amp, Terra, Maya and Thundra in the doorway. A hint of a smile tugged at the corner of his mouth and Amp nodded back.

Tears started to flow from Pip's eyes as she stared at her uncle's spirit before her. "I have so many things I want to ask you. So many things to tell you. But… I don't know where to start." She gave a hard sob and Maya moved to comfort her. "I've wanted to know you all my life. Ever since I was unhatched, I wanted to know you. I've tried to be like you. And now I don't know what to do."

"You can start by living." Sin spoke up, grabbing their attention. "I'm sure that's what you would say, right Certo?" The black dragon nodded to the oracle. His form began to fade away as Sin's hold on his spirit was being pulled away from him.

"Don't go!" Pip cried, trying to grab her uncle's paw.

"It's alright Pip." Maya whispered. "He's finally at peace where he is." She let her golden eyes lock with Certo's red and blue orbs. She smiled longingly at him wishing for the impossible. The black dragon took a step forward and leaned in close towards Pip. The dragoness's eyelids drooped and the salty tears hit her tongue. She gave another whimper when she felt the cool breeze brush against her cheek, as Certo attempted to nuzzle her affectionately.

"I miss you Uncle." Pip sniffled, her wind rattling the book shelves in the chamber.

The phantom before her gazed sadly into her eyes before mouthing, "I miss you too."

A soft breeze brushed against Sin's cheek and he nodded. "You're being called back Certo." His words only incited a somewhat confused expression from Certo.

"I wish you could stay forever!" Pip stepped forward as her uncle became more transparent. "I'm going to grow up and make you proud Uncle!" She stood trembling as the spirit faded away from her sight, never to be seen again. Pip collapsed onto her haunches, weeping heavily.

The occupants in the chamber remained silent as they all felt the sorrow weighing heavily in the atmosphere. After several minutes of letting the young dragoness grieve, Sin rose to his feet and walked up to face Pip. "Lift your head."

It took the dragoness a few choking sobs before she was able to lift her head to the oracle. "Now, for my other part of my deal." He pressed a paw to Pip's right eye, covering it completely. Pip suddenly cringed and tried to pull away at the sudden burning feeling that seemed to come from the oracle making contact with her. It was hot, so much that she wanted to scream. Just as she was about to give in to the burning, the paw was lifted. Pip spent several minutes rubbing her eye as Amp and the other older dragons all watched her with perplexed expressions on their faces.

It was not until Pip moved her paw away and blinked for what looked like her fist time ever opening her eyes, that a gasp of astonishment spread about the room. "What is it?" Pip sniffled, trying to appear tough before her audience. When no one answered, she turned towards the wall near her flight balcony where a large reflective crystal stood. The dragoness stared into the longest, flattest side, and tilted her head each way she could. "What did you do?" She gasped, not bothering to turn to face the oracle. Her right eye was a rich crimson.

"Think of it as a family heirloom." Sin answered passively. "You surely have heard the stories by now I am sure." Pip barely bobbed her head as she leaned in towards the crystal and placed a claw up to her eye. She remembered the stories of the magic which her uncle possessed and how his eye would burn with its power.

"Will I be…"

"No." Sin interrupted. "That was something that Certo inherited by a twist of fate. He was the middle point between two great conflicting powers. Your uncle Neros who brought this great war to the world, and the society of dragons, which Crona was a supporter of. The magic, which she dubbed as Karma, is the balance between the two. This magic, and it's characteristics, are still very unknown, despite Crona's extensive knowledge and research."

"Are you sure that she won't be able to wield Karma?" Amp asked, taking an anxious step towards his old friend.

Sin sighed and closed his eyes for a long time. Every set of eyes watched him as he seemed to go into a meditative state. Pip, having never seen an oracle before, quickly began to grow impatient. She opened her mouth to speak, but Sin opened his eyes before the first word could leave her. "I'm sorry. But Pip is not an inheritor of Karma." The news received mixed reactions from the family. Pip and Amp looked rather disappointed, while Thundra and Maya appeared to be rather grateful. Terra was the only dragoness who wore a blank stare in her eyes.

"I am sorry." Sin apologized as his white gaze went from Pip to Amp. "But you will have to deal with Malefor on your own."

Amp was taken aback at first, but nodded after a brief hesitation. "I understand Master Oracle. We will certainly do our best to deal with the situation as it develops."

Sin gave the most subtle of smirks before turning back to Pip who was back to eyeing herself in the crystal. "So, have we come to an even trade?" Pip's head swiveled on her long neck to look back at the oracle, then to the scrolls at his feet. She sighed and walked over to them, placing a paw gently onto the paper.

"Promise you will take good care of them." She pleaded in a low whisper.

"You have my word."

"Then we have a deal."

A fireball erupted from the back of Malefor's throat. The tree nearest to him burst into flames before crashing to the ground. Animals who had been hiding nearby scattered. A flurry of icy spears rained down around them. Birds who had been seeking shelter in the trees squawked and took to the air. Chains of lightning cut across the sky, sending several charred bodies to the forest floor below. Malefor bellowed and slammed a paw into the ground, cracking the earth. The rumble echoed across the forest before dying away, along with the sounds that came so naturally to this part of the world.

For a long time the purple dragon just stood there, his paw embedded into the earth. He cursed the guardians. Over the past years he had slowly been feeling their grip on him closing in tighter and tighter, slowly taking away any freedom he wanted. How could he be the most powerful when all they wanted him to do was act weak? Another agonized roar burst from his jaws, shaking the trees.

When the ringing in his ears subsided, a cold breeze blew through him. He hated them. He hated the guardians for being so hypocritical. Did they fear him? Probably. That had to be the reason they had tried to make him weak. No, he was not weak. He had brought down a guardian on his own, even if he had only managed to stun him. "They probably banished me because they know I'm stronger than they are now." The dragon narrowed his yellow eyes as he looked towards the sky beyond the treetops. He began to trudge onward through the woods towards the mountains, wallowing in his hatred and disgust. "The fools."

Malefor had no idea how long he had been traveling. It was already dusk and the forest was darkening more and more. Normally the guardians would have advised to avoid the forest at night due to its unseen dangers. But nothing scared the purple dragon. Not anymore.

A sudden noise grabbed his attention and his head jerked up. Malefor looked around, expecting to see a creature of some sort lurking in the darkness that sat between each tree. When he saw nothing he began to move once again. no sooner had he raised his foot than he heard the noise again. A breeze brushed past him as he heard a hiss in the wind. Malefor stopped and glared into the surrounding darkness. Flames licked at the edges of his mouth, illuminating the area enough for him to see a couple yards into the trees around him.

Another breeze seemed to brush against his cheek and a whisper tickled his ear. A chill ran up Malefor's spine, making his scales rattle. Malefor was frozen stock still as his eyes swept about the trees. The whisper was coming faster and seemed to be getting closer. The young dragon's mind raced as he saw a grey shadow dart between the tree lines. He thrust his head forward, igniting the woods. The noise only seemed to intensify, this time coming from behind. Malefor's bladed tail swung, dissipating a cloud of what appeared to be fog right behind him. The whisper soon grew to a mild laugh.

"Who's there?" The dragon snarled, his eyes continuing to seek out his stalker. "Show yourself." The laughter only continued as another ghostly blur moved at the edge of his peripherals. Malefor whirled, breathing another burst of fire. Again, he hit nothing. The taunting was maddening. The purple dragon turned every which way, trying to see where the, thing, had gone. Another chill grazed his right front leg, causing him to jump back. another gust touched his opposite side; then his wing. "Get away from me!"

Malefor spread his wings to take to the air, but froze. His breath felt like ice. The air around him felt frozen, preventing him from taking off and fleeing this place. He wanted to get away from here. Be anywhere to avoid the voices of the forest which tormented him with their condescending tone. The dragon squeezed his eyes tightly shut and he grit his teeth. "Leave me alone!" His cry was drowned out by the deafening crack of the earth as rocks burst from the ground and violet fire spewed from his jaws.

The purple dragon stood gasping and trembling as he stared the the engulfed forest around him. The flames petrified the trees, turning them to stone, before blackening their surfaces.

"Well, what do you know…" The whisper was back. Malefor's eyes widened and he stood perfectly still, only his eyes daring to dart around his field of vision. "I never thought it would be possible, but I do suppose I was right about dragon-kind."

"W-what do you mean?" Malefor demanded, trying to put on his best unnerved look.

"To use a power such as Convexity…it takes a lot to drive a dragon down enough to be able to use such magic." The voice seemed to snicker at this.

"Who…what…Where are you?" There was a long pause as Malefor's teeth chattered nervously. The dying flames from one of the trees suddenly sparked back to life, causing the young Malefor to jump. Another laugh was heard as the body of a dragon appeared in the fire before him. Malefor stared in surprise and horror at the feral eyes which leered back at him. The dragon was long and sleek with three claw marks scarring his left eye. His crested head was lined by eight horns and his tail sported a very familiar-looking tail blade.

"Who…Who are you?"

The dragon gave a wicked smile. "Who I am is not important. History will forget me as it is. But as for you." The dragon leaned closer and Malefor shrank back. Instead of feeling heat from the flames he felt…nothing. They had no life. No soul. "You have potential. You have to potential to change the world…forever."

The mountains were cold. The wind was never an issue, but the sheer chill at their altitude was enough to bother most dragons who were not accustomed to the colder climates. Sin, however, paid the temperature no mind. This was his kind's territory. He would graciously accept whatever environmental obstacles were put before him.

The oracle crunched through the shallow snow as he stepped along the cliffs and up the 'steps' that the mountain range was named for. This mountain range was unique for its natural formations, but also because it was nearly a straight drop from the top of the cliffs unless one happened to be a well adapted climber. At the top, Sin could see the entire valley of trees for miles as well as the great dragon city as a speck in the distance.

A twig snapped behind him. Sin turned, to see a young drake poking its head out from behind a rock. Sin smiled and walked towards the youngster who was about his size. The drake bowed slightly. "Master Oracle. Welcome."

Sin bobbed his head in acknowledgement. "I wish to speak with the pack leader if you would be so kind."

"Y-yes. Of course." The youngling turned and led Sin deeper into the rocks before taking him into a dark cavern. Inside, patches of fire lit the walls where the drakes had breathed their flames to illuminate the tunnels. As they came to the central chamber, the sounds of conversation came to an abrupt halt as the youngster brought the white drake to came face to face with the rest of the mountain pack.

The pack immediately bowed before Sin, keeping their heads low as the alpha drake, moved to greet their guest.

"Master Oracle, we apologize. We were not expecting you this soon."

"Think nothing of it friend." Sin waved. "I am merely here for a short visit, so to have made preparations for my arrival would have been unnecessary. Although the thought is well appreciated."

"Of course." The alpha nodded and his yellow eyes fell on the makeshift scroll carrier the white drake had draped over his shoulders. "Are those…"

"Yes." Sin nodded, bowing low and sliding out of the harness. "These are the journals I told you about. These were given to me by a young dragoness and are considered very dear treasures to her." The alpha looked down at Sin with a perplexed look. Dragons cared nothing for the drakes. So why should he concern himself with the wishes of a hatchling? "I have your word of honor, that you will treasure these documents." Sin spoke forcibly as if reading his mind. "The day will come when a broken dragon of fire comes to your pack and you must provide him the way to become a bridge between good and evil. And when that day comes, you must be sure that all is untarnished." The white drake pointed a claw at the scrolls.

The alpha was silent for a couple minutes as he thought over the oracle's words. "For the preservation of our kind."

"For the preservation of our future." Sin continued the hymn.

"For the continued existence of our world." The pack joined in.

"We will abide by your words Master Oracle." The pack leader bowed. "And what of the one, foretold to bring about the end of our world?"

Sin's expression drooped into a frown. "It will be a long thousand year war. Do what you must to ensure the survival of our species. But above all, do not lose hope that we will survive in the end."

"Master?" The drakes looked around uneasily at one another. The thought of extinction was beginning to sink into the darkest pits of their minds. They had lived in seclusion from dragon kind for generations. It was beyond unfair to think of being wiped out due to a fight in which they had not started.

Sin lifted a paw and placed it against the snout of the alpha drake. "Just keep hope old friend." His gentle words seemed to settle the pack, if only just slightly. "Hope is all you can do until then."

Time passed. Time was always a given for Crona. It was always there for her. Time was all she had left. Day after day she held onto the book with the name of the feral black dragon's name carved into its cover. She would hold the biography close to her chest throughout the day, never relinquishing it for a moment, in fear she would lose it and never find it again. Every morning after she had woken, the dragoness would carefully begin flipping through the pages, searching for any clues as to the fate of her friend's soul. It only brought more tears to her eyes as she reread their trials and successes until the final invasion of the city, and the final showdown with Neros. As it was the day before, and the day before that, the last half of the book was filled with nothing but blank pages.

Crona sighed as she closed the book for what was at least the millionth time. Days had turned to weeks, which turned to months, which turned to years. She had grown, but very little. Her once pure white body had turned to an off, grey, almost sickly looking. She was not aging well due to the stress and depression which felt like a boulder lodged inside her chest.

The white dragoness picked up the book, stooping to scoop up the many pages which were beginning to fall from their bindings. No matter how many times she tried to restore them, the pages would not hold their place. Crona set her prized treasure down on a stand beside her pile of notes which she had taken over the past thirty years. Ever since her return, she had dedicated herself entirely to mastering her accidental talent of time travel.

Her eyes scanned the papers before her. They were more detailed versions of the notes she had forgotten over a thousand years before. She had contemplated seeking them out at first, but then realized that they were no longer important to her. The only thing that mattered was her friend, and the injustice he had faced at the end of his short life.

Anger began to build up inside the white dragoness and she hissed. It was not right what had happened. Even if it had been for the better of the survival of dragon kind. No creature should have to suffer the way the feral had. Crona raised a paw and sent her notes flying. Curse the old guardians. Her ink splashed across the floor. Damn Titanus. The stand slammed into the floor. May the ancients put a hex on the apes who had spilled the blood of so many innocent lives. Crona's watery blue eyes fixed upon the book and rage burned behind them as her tears burned her facial scales.

"Damn you Certo!" She whirled around, striking the book with her tail, sending it into the far wall with a surprising thud. The white dragoness stood there in the middle of her mess, panting heavily and weeping silently. She hated him so much right now. If there was any dragon more stubborn than she was, it was that feral. Why did he have to stay? Why did he have to die? He could have come with her. They could have been happy together.

Crona stared at the book as it lay slumped against the wall. It reminded her of what she had seen in her adolescence, seeing the feral breathe his last breaths. After what seemed like hours, Crona blinked, coming out of her blindness. Her entire study was a mess. Ink spattered the walls and soaked her notes. Books and scrolls were torn and strewn across the floor. All the items she thought she loved, just didn't seem to matter anymore. The chronicler hung her head to stare at her paws.

Sitting at her feet was a page from Certo's book; one she had seen many times before. Crona picked it up and studied it again. It was her and Certo, sitting side by side in front of the only other entity she had met to this day. "Sin." She whispered. Her voice seemed to echo down the hall. "Certo's future, lies with you." Crona's head swiveled around to the mess of her study. She glanced back at the white drake on the page and dropped it, storming out of the chamber and down the hall. The white dragoness marched into the central chamber of the palace, startling Ignitus who was deep into a book of his own.

"Hello my dear Crona." He spoke in a slightly unsettled tone. "You've pulled yourself away from your study. Is there something wrong?"

Crona did not respond. She closed her eyes and concentrated. Within a few seconds, the blue mist came to life, surrounding her with magical energy. "Nothing is wrong Ignitus." She replied as she held up a paw to focus the magic into a ball. She could just barely feel the presence of a familiar crimson aura in the air and gathered it into her spell. "Everything is going to be fine."

Suddenly alarmed, Ignitus put down his book and got to his feet. "Crona, what are you doing?" There was a flash of light and a loud crack as the time portal stabilized. "I'm going back Ignitus. Time be damned. I'm sick of being miserable. It's time I was happy." She glanced back at the magic pulsing in front of her. "It's time we were both happy." Without another word, Crona stepped forward, disappearing from sight.

When the light had died away, Ignitus stood dumbfounded. He left the central chamber to peek in on Crona's study. It looked like a flight of dragons had blown through the place.

"It took her long enough." Ignitus turned to see a white drake emerge from down the hallway.

The former guardian smiled. "Indeed." His voice had changed to that of the dragoness's grandfather. "It pleases me beyond measure that she has decided to take on a normal life."

Sin chuckled. "Even if it did take this much time."

The chronicler nodded. "My dear boy, time is of no shortage for those two." He walked over to the book that lay against the wall. On command it levitated before the two entities. The pages that had fallen out slipped back into their designated spots and the cover seemed to glow with new life. Master Chronicler flipped to the back page and smiled. "May the ancients bless you both. My dearest Crona."

Certo limped along through the shallow snow. The once pure-white ground was stained with the blood of him and his brother. Neros's body had been incinerated, leaving nothing but ash coating his own bloody body and the ground. Pounding was all he could hear. It might have been the throbbing of his head, or the sound of his dying heart. He stopped as his hind legs gave out on him. The feral gasped for breath and a large glob of blood spattered into the snow. Certo spent several minutes coughing hard, trying to get the blood out of his throat, but to no avail. He was simply bleeding too much, too fast.

The black dragon shakily turned his head to see how far he had walked, to find it had been only a few short yards. It had seemed like miles to him. With a dejected sigh, he collapsed into the snow. He couldn't feel pain anymore. Whether it was due to shock or the cold, he could have cared less. Certo stared out at the world beyond as snowflakes began to fall. He was reminded of the pureness of Crona's coloration and a smile pulled at the edges of his muzzle, just ever so slightly. He had actually accomplished something worth while. It was enough for him to accept as he felt his eyelids begin to droop.

As the world began to grow fuzzy, it seemed to glow brighter, making him shut his eyes against the glare. For a long minute he let his eyes remain shut. When he sensed footsteps coming towards him, he cracked his eyelids. He could see two large feet standing in front of him. The skin was pure white, and the toes were the color of onyx. Certo's eyeballs rolled up to see the much older-looking chronicler standing over him.

Crona had tears in her eyes as she stared at the mangled feral before her. He had looked better when she had found him at the river all those years ago. She saw his jaw wavering as he tried to speak. "I'm sorry it took me so long." She whimpered, leaning down to nuzzle his cheek, smearing a little blood on her snout. "But I'm here for you now." She glanced over her shoulder at the portal, concentrating for a minute as she searched through time for her desired location. As if in the distance, she could hear a voice calling out of the void.

"You're right! I know what i can do for him!" She recognized her own voice and suddenly felt a surge of magic as another time portal opened.

Ignitus's voice called out in alarm. "Crona what are you doing? This is not your choice to make."

Adult Crona glanced down at Certo. "Come on." She murmured softly. As gently as she could, the chronicler scooped up the limp-bodied feral with her front arms and stepped back into the portal. "I'm taking you home.


	39. Age of Heroes: Chimera preview

It was the extreme headache that brought Macro out of his sleep. The throbbing in his head pulled him from his dreamless slumber and he groaned in pain. It was several minutes before he could stand to open his eyes. When he did he paused to take in his surroundings. It was not the room he had been staying in the past couple of nights, but rather an extremely humid chamber. Tree roots broke through the ceiling overhead and holes in the roof allowed rays of sunlight to poke in, warming the chamber from the outside. The walls were covered in moss, as was the floor which he now rested on.

A sudden burst of flame from the overhanging roots caused Macro to jolt upright, and another wave of pounding to surge inside his head. The chimera whimpered and squeezed his eyes shut.

"Oh you're awake I see." A voice spoke up. When Macro managed to open his eyes again, he stared into the face of a large, female amphiptere. She dangled from her long tail in the roots, her wings folded in front of her chest almost in a scornful manner. "Lie down youngling. You need to rest format he looks of you."

Macro was confused, but did as he was told. The amphiptere slithered down from the roots and over the where she had spat the fireball. In the corner of the underground infirmary was a crack in the wall where water flowed into a small pond. The water's surface was steaming, adding to the humidity in the room. The stone was charred black from previous fireballs and smoothed to a glassy texture. The amphiptere extended a wing into the water, testing the temperature before nodding in satisfaction. She dipped her head into the water for several minutes before slithering back to Macro. Beside him were two large leaves that measured the size of Macro's head. Using her wing barbs, the amphiptere began to puncture holes in the leaves before placing the first on Macro's back.

Feeling the pressure reminded the chimera of what had happened and he winced. "Stop your whimpering." The serpent ordered. "I will not have a youngling make such a fuss over such a trivial little injury. Now hold still." Macro watched with as the amphiptere opened her mouth, letting the water she had drank just moments before trickle from the back of her throat and onto the leaves. It was hot, almost to the point where it was unbearable. The chimera bared his teeth but did not make a sound. The water mixed with the sap of the leaf, making Macro's scales around his joint feel sticky.

After emptying half her load, the amphiptere repeated the process on his opposite shoulder. This time the feeling was more soothing than painful and Macro began to relax. He lay his head down on the warm moss and stared at the far wall in silence until the serpent was done.

"There." She chirped, admiring her handiwork. "Compared to what others have gone through you're certainly lucky."

Macro's eyes rolled around to her as she moved towards his muzzle. "Why are you helping me?" The snake's head swiveled around to stare at him curiously. "You know what I am. So why help me?"

The fire-breather hissed, letting a tongue of flame shoot from her mouth, grazing the chimera's snout. It was clear she was insulted, and not ashamed to show it. Macro did not recoil from the gesture but continued to watch the amphiptere closely. "Perhaps it is polite where you come from to question those who give you aid. But here we simply take help where it is given. And to answer your question, I have a purpose in this world. I carry it out for whomever needs it, regardless of who my patient might be."

"Even a chimera?"

"You are the first chimera I have ever treated."

The youngster eyed his caretaker for another moment before sighing. "Thank you."

The amphiptere ruffled her wings almost gleefully. "You're welcome. I'm glad to see that at least one beast has manners." Macro stared blankly for a moment and the serpent turned her head away as if to ignore him. "It appears you have a visitor." She bowed respectfully and the guardian of the forest slithered into the cave. "Shall I leave you two for the time being?"

"That is kind of you." Flyvende Slange bobbed his head in acknowledgment. "But it will not be necessary." The guardian was smaller in size than the female amphiptere making Macro realize that size was not the key to these creatures social status.

Flyvende Slange coiled himself up before Macro and crossed his wings in front of him. "How are you feeling young chimera?" He asked, studying his pupil's expression.

"Fine, sir." Macro mumbled.

"Are you sure?" Flyvende Slange flicked his tongue slowly at him, as if tasting the woefulness of the youngerster's heart. "You tried to take off in the middle of the night and yet somehow managed to crash and injure yourself in the process. Not that I am not grateful to see you are alive, but it is still a wonder to me that you were not killed." Macro's eyes lowered to the floor and Flyvende Slange lowered his head to meet his stare. "What is going on young Macro? What is it that you are keeping from us?"

Macro choked after a couple minutes of tense silence. "You all think I'm a monster." He spoke in nearly an inaudible whisper. "Everyone looks at me in this way that makes me hurt inside. No one wants me around and no one will talk to me other than you and Master Tsunamien. And even that may just be because I'm my father's son." The female amphhiptere piped up at this and swiveled her head around from what she was doing.

Flyvende Slange sighed and extended his tail towards Macro and draped it over his snout. "You are indeed modeled after your father. You're very keen on the world around you, even though you do not understand it at most times. I believe your father did not tell you what you were in comparison to the rest of us because he wished to raise you differently than the way most of us would have."

Macro's eyes blinked curiously at that. "Differently?"

"You have been talking with Staerke Vogter, the hydra with the missing tail, yes?" Macro thought for a moment then nodded. "He was not lying to you when he said that many of our young are raised to fight in this war with the chimeras. They are taught to hate the chimeras and their allies so they do not question the morality of life when on the battlefield. I cannot say the same, but I would be certain that the chimeras and drakes exercise a similar behavior. Your father did not wish to do the same with you."

"Because I am one of them?"

The serpent bounced slightly. "Yes. It would be counterproductive to the war effort if you were taught to hate what you are. Right now is a prime example. You are torn inside between what you knew before and what you know now. Do you disagree?" Macro could only respond with a low whimper. "Macro, you are still very young and you have a very pure innocence to you. I am not Breander, but in all the years I knew him, I would be willing to bet that he was counting on this factor when he…" The serpent's voice trailed off for a moment before he continued. "When he raised you. It's that innocence that makes you such a unique indiviual to our society. You are a clean slate. A chance for the world to change for the better. I understand that you are scared because Breander kept you in seclusion for your entire life thus far. But change can be a positive thing, even if it does not appear to be at first. You should embrace it and see what happens." Flyvende Slange uncoiled himself and nodded thankfully to the female who sat patiently beside the pond.

"But how?" Macro exclaimed, grabbing the guardian's attention before he could leave. "How can I try and make the best of it when everyone views me as a monster? How can you say that this is a good thing for me when everyone I go near would rather turn away than return a greeting?"

"That will change with time." The serpent replied casually. "But don't think that you haven't made at least a couple of acquaintances since you have arrived. Staerke Vogter is already hopeful that you will help us put an end to this war. And even your chamber mate seems to hold some compassion for you."

Macro raised his head and tilted it sideways, studying the amphiptere. "Who?"

"The black dragoness who resides in the same chamber as you."

This caught the chimera off guard. "You must be mistaken." Macro shook his head violently. "She's terrified of me."

"Perhaps of the idea of you is what frightens her." Flyvende Slange suggested. Then he shrugged. "But then, who do you think saw your fall and came running to inform us what had happened?" Macro's brows jumped slightly and Flyvende Slange flicked his tongue out quickly. The chimera could have sworn he saw the guardian smile. "However, I could be wrong. She has only come in every morning and evening to check on you. I suppose only time will tell." With that, the serpent slithered down the hallway and out into the glaring sunlight. Once outside, he gave an amused chuckled to himself before flapping an air current beneath him and gliding back up towards the temple.

Back inside the infirmary, Macro sighed to himself as the day went on. It soon got to the point where his constant silence was almost torturous to the amphiptere tending to him.

"Are you chimeras always this silent? Or are you simply one of a kind?" She snickered as she dribbled more hot water onto his leaf bandages. The patches dried out rather quickly and needed to be moistened every three hours.

"What do you think Master Flyvende Slange meant by, the idea of me?" Macro asked, without regarding the nurse's remark.

The amphiptere sighed, irritated at being ignored. "It has to do with what you are. Your kind are technically our enemy. And no chimera has ever come to this city on good terms. The fact that you're here now and not an official enemy is... unsettling. I would be willing to wager that it's not your personality that they fear but what you stand for."

"Death. War. The loss of life."

"That's one way to look at it."

"So how do I change that?"

"I couldn't tell you." the female shook her head before finishing off her load. "But perhaps you can start by making friends. Or at least getting to know those who you are involved with every day."

"Easier said than done." The chimera grumbled, setting his head down on the moss. The humidity was causing the water in the air to gather all over his body. The water gathering around the rims of his eyes was making him close them more often, thus making him drowsy in the process. Before long, he was fast asleep. It was not until he heard the soft murmur of voices that Macro returned to his conscious state. He blinked the water away that had gathered around his eyelids and gave the infirmary a quick visual sweep. The light from outside was fading away, darkening the room considerably.

"I'll be right outside if you need me." The voice of the female amphiptere came from down the corridor and then the sound of soft, muffled footsteps followed. Macro waited and listened as the visitor drew closer until he could hear them breathing, adjusting to the thick air inside the cave. The chimera lifted his head and turned to see nothing, but a pair of eyes in the darkness, staring back at him; one blue, the other red. He did not need to ask who it was, but his mouth hung open none the less.

For a long time neither youngster spoke. Then the eyes closed and the dragoness vanished from view. Before Macro could say anything, the eyes opened again, this time only a few feet away from him. The chimera recoiled slightly, his spines quivering in alarm.

"They say you're feeling better." She spoke, her voice soft and reserved. Macro only managed to squeak his acknowledgment once, but no words came to his lips. The dragoness studied him closely, trying to get a clearer look at his features. "You're not much of a talker are you?"

Macro's spines stood on end at her remark. He narrowed his eyes, giving off a rather evil appearance. "So says the one who hasn't spoke a word to me until now."

The black dragoness rolled her shoulders and her crest flattened against her skull. "I have my reasons. What excuse do you have?"

Macro, surprised by the retort, frowned in response. "Being quiet is how my father taught me to survive. By being quiet I can listen to my surroundings."

"That's good for growing up in the wild. But then, there aren't many feral clans left anymore. So who does that these days?" A growl rattled in Macro's throat and the dragoness responded with her own, which echoed in the infirmary.

"That's enough you two." Both younglings turned to see the female amphiptere coiled in the entry way. "This is a place for healing, not fighting."

"Sorry." The youngsters chimed together. They shot each other a quick glance before Macro gave a laugh.

"What's so funny?" The dragoness demanded.

"We answered the same thing at the same time." Macro chuckled. His sides ached still but he did not mind it. "It was funny."

"It happens more often than you think." The dragoness replied with a raised brow. "It gets less and less funny the more it happens."

"Why?"

"I don't know. It just does." The young female shrugged all four of her shoulders. "Wait, you seriously never had that happen before?"

"I said it was my first time hearing it." Macro pointed out.

"Dear ancestors, have you been living under a rock your entire life?"

Macro pondered the question for a moment. "Technically they were caves, but I suppose that is one way of looking at it."

The dragoness gave a disbelieving huff and shifted her long talons on the mossy floor. "That's not exactly what I meant. It was a rhetorical question."

A grin spread across Macro's jaws. "I know. But I thought it would give you a chance to know a little bit about me."

"Well she can learn more later." The amphiptere interrupted. "It's getting late and you both need to get your rest for the night."

"Yes ma'am." The dragoness sighed, a bit reluctant to have to leave, now that the chimera was beginning to open up. The serpent escorted her towards the entrance to the cave, but then Macro called out to her.

"Are you going to come back?"

The dragoness was surprised at first but then nodded slightly. "I suppose I could spare the time. I'll see you first thing in the morning. Deal?"

"Deal!" Macro bobbed his head excitedly.

The dragoness gave the chimera a sly smirk. "By the way Macro. You never asked my name."

Macro cocked his head curiously, before realizing he had not taken the time to do so. "I'm sorry." He apologized, lowering his gaze for a split second before lifting his eyes to meet hers again. "What is your name?"

"Skygge." She said. Quick and sharp. The way she said her name made it sound as dangerous as the blade on the end of her tail.

"Skygge." Macro parroted back, tasting the name on his tongue. "I like it."

"Good." The dragoness huffed in subtle amusement. "Because I'm not changing it. See you tomorrow Macro."

"Sleep well." The chimera waved with a frail arm as she was escorted away. When they were gone, the grin continued to spread across his mouth as he lay his head down to close his eyes for the night.

It was another week before Macro was allowed to leave the care of the amphiptere looking after him. There were other winged serpents coming and going to oversee his recovery, but the golden female, Yunari as he one day discovered, was his primary caretaker. During his time in the infirmary, Macro was often visited by Flyvende Slange. The guardian would often hold conversations, mainly learning about Macro's childhood and training. These conversations were often repeated when Skygge returned during the evening before returning to their pavilion chamber.

"It sounds like Master Breander was a very careful dragon." Skygge pointed out when Macro was telling how much he moved around during his childhood.

"Looking back on those days now, I can see that for myself even more." Macro sighed. "He told me that it was dangerous outside the safety of the caves, but it wasn't until we met that messenger, that I really believed him."

"What happened?" Skygge asked, leaning closer, not wanting to miss any part of the story. For the past couple days, she had been finding the chimera to be more interesting than frightening as she had initially thought.

Macro's eyes lowered to his hands folded on top of each other between his front legs. "Wyvern."

Just the name of the venomous creatures aroused a hiss from the black dragoness. "Ruthless savages! They have no sense of respect or regard for life!" Her bi-colored eyes lifted to connect with Macro's but the chimera's gaze was elsewhere. He shut his eyes and lowered his head on top of the mossy bedding before releasing a dejected sigh. Skygge leaned down towards Macro until her snout was nearly touching his. "They were the reason you came alone."

Macro only sighed again, not wishing to think about it. He heard the sound of the dragoness shifting her weight on the moss, and before he knew it he felt something fall upon his back. The chimera opened his eyes to find that the black dragoness had moved to lay down beside him and had her winged arm draped over his back and was pulling him closer to her.

"What are you doing?" Macro gasped, pulling away in fear for a moment.

"It's called a hug." Skygge answered calmly, though she did find it rather surprising that he was so put off by such a gesture.

"A hug?"

"It's a gesture to show comfort or affection. I just thought after what you went through, you could use one. It's the least you deserve."

Macro stared at the dragoness's side as she raised her middle limb, offering him another chance. Even if it had been for a moment, he had enjoyed it. Hesitantly he scooted closer to Skygge until their sides were touching. Her body was warm and her scales were soft, unlike the rough and often thorny side of his father's. The chimera let out a satisfied growl as he felt her arm wrap around his shoulders and her wing membrane create a leathery blanket for him. Skygge smiled when Macro subconsciously leaned his head against the side of her chest. She lay her head down on her front paws and closed her eyes for what she thought would only be a moment. Yunari slithered in several minutes later only to find the two sound asleep.

"You're free to go." She announced the next morning, rousing the two youngsters to meet the new morning. "I think you can manage from here on your own. But no more reckless flying, understood? I don't want to make taking care of you a habit."

"Are you sure I'm okay? Macro asked, getting to his feet and flexing his stiff muscles.

Yunari gave an amused hiss and flicked her forked tongue out. "I would say so, judging by the way the both of you were curled up together like a pair of badger cubs. I would say you're much better in the care of your new friend."

Macro turned to look at Skygge who could only turn away in embarrassment. Yunari flicked her tongue several more times in silent amusement before ushering them outside. The dragons blinked into the sun, shielding their eyes from the glare with their wings until they were adjusted. After thanking the amphiptere, Skygge led Macro back up the streets leading around the side of the mountain.

"Are you planning on still resting today?" Skygge asked after several minutes of silence. The residents they passed in the streets eyed the two of them with awe and surprise. The black dragoness had never been the center of attention for any lengthy period of time. But walking in the streets with a chimera trotting alongside her made the stares, unpleasant. However, Macro paid them little attention as his focus was on his female guide.

"I think I should get back to training with Master Tsunamien. Master Flyvende Slange has been saying that he has grown impatient with my recovery and that I am falling behind on my lessons."

Skygge chuckled. "Hate to tell you Macro, but all instructors are like that. But I can imagine that having trained under guardians your entire life, you're used to it at this point."

"I never thought about it like that." The chimera bobbed his head, seeing the dragoness's point. His father, Breander, had been one of the many guardians and representatives of his species, according to the stories Flyvende Slange had told him. But to Macro, he had always been known as 'Father'. A moment passed between the two before he spoke again. "Would you ever want to learn under the guardians?"

"Me?" Skygge looked shocked. "I would doubt that they would see me as fit to be a guardian. I'm a hybrid dragon, so I'm not limited to just one element like some dragons are. I can't recall of a guardian being a hybrid, now that you mention it."

"That shouldn't mean you couldn't try at least." Macro pointed out.

"I suppose not, but I'm sure it's the right occupation for me."

"Why is that?"

"You ask a lot of questions."

Macro smiled and shrugged his wings. " How can you truly understand the world unless you ask questions?"

Skygge returned the smile. "It all sounds great and everything to be respected and admired by so many. But at the same time, you could have thousands of enemies out there all vying to bring you down. And you're responsible for the lives of even more spirits who rely on you for protection. I don't think I could deal with that much pressure on a day to day basis." She stopped and looked Macro in the eye. "Do you have any idea how many enemies there really are out there?"

"I'm guessing quite a lot."

"You haven't got the slightest clue!" Skygge burst out causing several heads to turn in their direction. "The number of enemies beyond the walls of our home are nearly impossible to count!" She stopped her momentary rant to see Macro had shrank away from her and silence had filled the streets. She hung her head and gave Macro a gentle nudge. "I'm sorry. I guess I'm just having mixed feelings at the moment."

"About me?" Macro asked, using his snout to lift her chin so he could look up at her. She was easily a head taller than he was, and nearly a full meter longer than him.

"About a lot of things Macro. You included. I won't lie, it's going to take me some time to fully get used to you being a chimera and the fact that you're…don't take this personally, but very ignorant about our world." It was the chimera's turn to hang his head. It was not his fault that he did not know about what was going on around him, nor did he have any power over it. "I'm not mad at you." Skygge continued, placing a paw on his shoulder. The padded gecko-like feet felt tight against the chimera's scales as if she were gripping his skin between her digits. "I'm just letting you know as a friend that this change is not going to be easy for anyone."

Macro glanced around the crowd of faces staring at them. Amphipteres, flicked their tongues out scenting the youngsters before moving on. Badgers hobbled along, only glancing out of the corner of their eyes, but not raising their hair on their backs in displays of aggression. No one spoke to them, but the youngsters could feel the tension hanging in the air.

"I should get going." Skygge spoke up, breaking the silence between them. "I have to get to the training grounds. And I don't want you missing another of Master Tsunamien's lessons." Macro only bobbed his head once. Skygge gave him a soft smile and bumped his snout with her own; a bit more playful than comforting this time. "I'll see you tonight okay."

"Alright." Macro sighed and nudged her back. "Work hard."

Skygge only chuckled. "I don't have a choice. But thank you still." She stepped away from him and extended her arms, spreading her wings to their full length. With her four other feet firmly planted on the ground, she lunged into the air, turning into a tight roll before beating her wings. Macro watched as she disappeared over the rooftops of the pavilions. He gave one last look around and, seeing that passersby were pretending to ignore him, took to the air and began the long climb towards the temple at the top of the mountain.

The morning was warm, creating a nice thermal to lift him higher with less effort. His wings began to ache halfway up the climb, reminding him that he had not taken a flight like this since he had first arrived at the city. He was thankful when he was able to reach the temple so he could let his wings rest. Macro half expected to see the guardians waiting for him out in the sun, but found the area to be completely empty.

Puzzled by their absence, Macro walked up to the entrance to the temple. "Hello?" He paused to listen inside but heard no voices or the sounds of the hydra's heavy footsteps. Slowly, the chimera entered into the temple. Along the walls were carvings of dragons, hydras, and other reptilian creatures he could not identify, dug into the stone. Polished gems, stones and crystals surrounded the carvings, similar to many of the pavilions in the upper levels of the city.

The farther down the corridor he went, the darker the temple became. There were no windows, or breaks in the stone to let the outside light shine in, making the chimera wonder how he was still able to see. It was not until he looked up at the ceiling that he saw the crystals, growing out of the wall, casting their various colors of light around the hallway.

Curious, Macro flapped his wings, hovering up to the high ceiling to study the stones closer. Each emanated a different color; oranges, greens, blues and yellows. Macro hovered closer to a large orange crystal, captivated by its warm glow. The longer he stared, the brighter the crystal continued to glow. Macro's green eyes began to shine with the same energy until he felt too hot to stay any closer. The chimera backed away and the aura faded as well. Still curious, Macro moved to look at one of the light blue crystals. Unlike the previous one, the crystal's light did not increase the closer he came to it. He soon learned that the other crystals like it did the same.

"This topic is closed to discussion!" A gruff voice echoed from down the hallway. Macro turned his eyes towards the floor as the sounds of voices could be heard coming closer. The youngling flapped his wings towards the nearest wall and latched on with his talons, digging into the stone as best he could.

"The youngling is not ready to face such a challenge!" Tsunamien's voice argued in clear irritation. "He needs more training and has yet to discover his third element!"

"I don't care!" The original voice snarled. "I want that chimera ready to fight! No excuses. If he has only two elements, then we will use those to our advantage!"

"Macro is still too young to and inexperienced to be combat ready." Flyvende Slange pointed out. "Tsunamien is right to say that he needs more time."

"Then put him into training with the others younglings!" The voice growled. Down below, Macro saw the source emerge from a side hallway. The lizard was over twenty feet in length, crawled on eight short stubby legs, and was covered in thick horns and armored scales. Behind him lumbered Tsunamien, followed by a long slender dragon with long tendrils hanging from his snout and jawline. He resembled the sentry Macro had met days before but older. Beside him was a wyrm measuring nearly forty feet in length. Beside the wyrm slithered Flyvende Slange, dwarfed by the enormous olive-colored serpent.

"That may not be the wisest of choices." Flyvende Slange swayed his head disapprovingly from side to side. "Many of the city's residents are already uneasy about having a chimera within the walls of safety. If Macro starts taking part in daily routines too soon, it may do more harm to him, as well as our cause."

"You're not seriously making excuses for a chimera are you?" The lizard-like dragon turned on the smaller winged serpent with teeth showing in the crystal light. "He's a chimera Flyvende Slange. One of them!"

"That is where you are wrong Bronco!" All four of Tsunamien's heads turned on the antagonist. "He may be a chimera, but he is not like his ancestors! He has not been raised as they have been, and he does not view us as they do!"

The guardian growled, backing away from the amphiptere. "Give it time. Remember what happened the first time…"

"We are not making the same mistake twice!" One of the hydra's heads snapped. "If you think you are going to do a better job at finding a solution to end this war, then we would like to see it in action! So rather than criticize, we suggest you leave the youngling to us in Eastern City!"

"That is enough both of you." The dragon interrupted, bringing his long, frilled tail in between the guardians. He turned to Tsunamien. "Because our late friend Breander sent him to you, we will allow you to be in charge of his training. But do not dilly dally in doing so. Neither of our forces have been able to achieve a strong decisive win over the other for some time now. If we wish to finally end this war, we must act soon."

"Well understood." Flyvende Slange agreed. He crossed a wing in front of his chest and bowed slightly. "May safety be with you as you return to your homes."

The dragon and wyrm both bowed to the amphiptere and hydra respectfully. The eight-limbed lizard, Bronco, was hesitant but lowered his head as well. "May the light of the ancestors guide your way." With that said, the three exited the temple, leaving Flyvende Slange and Tsunamien in silence.

It was the hydra's middle head that was the first to speak. "That basilisk can be as thick as the ground he walks on!"

"Temper now, old friend." The amphiptere coaxed in a calming tone. "You know how Bronco is. He has his reasons and his history just like the rest of us."

"He was never like this when Breander was still around." Above them, Macro felt a knot twist up inside his chest.

"Yes he was." Flyvende Slange corrected. "But I will admit he was never this tense. Breander was always so calming in his words and wise in his decisions. I feel that sometimes we lose more sight of that the longer this war continues."

"You may be right." The hyrda's heads sighed, letting their frosty breath chill the floor. "If only…"

"Don't start." The amphiptere scolded. "Wishing never got anything done. We can only hope that his soul is resting peacefully now."

"Masters?" Both guardians' heads snapped upward towards the ceiling. It took them a moment to focus on the young chimera latched onto the wall with his front talons while struggling to maintain a steady footing with his hindquarters.

"Dear ancestors Macro! What are you doing up there?" Flyvende Slange exclaimed.

The chimera released his hold on the stone wall and parachuted with his wings down to the floor. "I was searching for you so I could continue my lessons." Macro lifted his eyes to the ceiling overhead. "When I came in, I saw those and was inspecting them when I heard you all approaching."

"Strange that we did not hear you." Tsunamien pondered aloud, with one of his heads exchanging a glance with Flyvende Slange.

"My father raised me to be quiet when needed." Macro shook his head, then stared at his talons. "It was how we survived."

"Sounds like Breander." One of the hydra heads chuckled. "He did well in raising you youngling."

"Thank you." Macro murmured, a solemn tone weighing his voice down.

"Something the matter?" The ice-breather leaned all four heads down to inspect the chimera closer. Macro bit his upper lip for a moment before staring the nearest head in the eyes.

"Was it my fault my father died?"

Tsunamien's eyes narrowed slightly but he showed no expression otherwise. "We do not believe it was your fault Macro. You're too young and naive to be considered a threat to anyone larger than a badger. But in due time you will become strong enough to stand up to those to the world and put an end to this conflict between our kinds."

Macro's four eyes blinked. Was he really a figure of hope for everyone, or just the few city inhabitants who knew him? After a moment of silence, Tsunamien stepped forward with his chest thrust out before him. "If you wish to discuss your status in our society, we shall continue it at a later time." His middle heads leaned towards the chimera and his eyes narrowed. "In the meantime you and I have much to catch up on."

"Y-yes sir." Macro stammered and shrank back away from the ice-breather. The hydra lumbered towards the front entrance to the temple with Macro bounding along behind him. Flyvende Slange watched them go before flicking his tongue several times at the crystals overhead. He stared as several began to glow brighter and he bobbed his head as if listening to a voice. Without a word the slithered away back into the darkness of the temple.

"Again!" Tsunamien bellowed and three of his heads shot forward. Concussive balls of ice fired from the mouths of the hydra. Two missed the young chimera as he moved to dodge but the last ball of ice clipped Macro's hindquarters. He spun around once before hitting the marble platform with a thud. Pain took control of his lower body as he used his front legs to get up. Heavy vibrations shook the marble and the youngling beat his wings hard as another trio of ice balls struck where he had been. The remaining head snapped forward, launching another projectile. Macro inhaled as he ducked and reared up on his hind legs to counter. A bowling ball hit him in the stomach and a cloud of ice burst from his maw. The cloud of icy particles covered the platform, covering the hydra up to his knees. Even if the move had been an accident, it was certainly an improvement since their last lesson.

Coughing, Macro inhaled as best he could and breathed a burst of flame towards the hydra. Tsunamien easily swiveled his heads out of the way, only to find the spot where the chimera had been, now empty. All four heads swiveled about, searching the perimeter of the platform. There was no sign of the youngster anywhere. As the winds began to carry the icy fog away, one of the heads caught sight of a figure in the dissipating vapor. It turned, ever so slightly, not fully indicating that it had noticed its target. Down on the deck, Macro froze momentarily, before leaping towards the hydra's chest. Macro squalled in surprise when a sudden force struck him from the side and he found himself struggling in the vice-like grip of the hydra's jaws.

"Clever trick youngling." Tsunamien chuckled as two of his heads leaned in close to eye his student. "Did your father teach you that or was it of your own doing?"

Macro cocked his head. "Trick?"

The hydra blinked momentarily. The youngling had just launched an attack on him without even realizing it. It was beginning to become clear how little Breander had taught the young chimera despite having lived in constant hiding for three years. Macro had most likely been using his knowledge to escape undetected, but had been innovative enough to turn it into an offensive strategy.

The head that held Macro in its jaws set him down onto his feet. He winced slightly and shrugged his shoulders. The hydra's long teeth had punctured his skin in several areas, but not so much that it caused any more than mild discomfort. Tsunamien inspected his pupil, closely eyeing the spots of red before covering them with a cast of ice.

Macro shuddered at the sudden chill then yawned. Tsunamien was about to scold him for yawning in front of a master, but stopped when his second head lifted. "I believe that shall be all for today." He spoke in a rather placid tone. Macro looked up at him, confused. He was expecting the hydra to order him back to training. However, when the serpent head made a thrust forwards, Macro understood why.

"Skygge!" He barked cheerfully. The black dragoness stood at the top of the steps at the edge of the platform. If there had been no moonlight bouncing off her glossy scales, he never would have seen her. Her crimson eye nearly glowed as she fixed him with her fierce stare. Macro was about to bound over to her but halted himself.

"Go on." Tsunamien ordered. "Making friends is just as important as your training."

"Yes sir!" A smile tugged at the edge of Macro's mouth as he turned to return to Skygge. The dragoness waited until the two of them had walked down the stairs from the temple before speaking.

"Are you okay?" Macro noticed she was staring at him and swiveled his head around to see that she was eyeing the marks where Tsunamien's teeth had done their damage. To his surprise, he had not felt them and even now he could barely feel the mild pain. Skygge inspected the perplexed look in the chimera's eyes and sighed. "I guess you're fine." Two of Macro's eyes locked on hers. "You really aren't much of a fighter. Though Master Tsunamien is right, that was a clever trick."

A grin formed on Macro's mouth. "Really?" Skygge nodded. She had seen the way Macro had silently moved into the could of vapor positioned himself closer to the massive hydra to launch a surprise counter attack. It was almost as if dumb luck had saved the guardian from being caught off guard as he should have been.

The black dragoness sighed as the two of them stepped off the stairs. Macro made an automatic turn down one of the stone corridors towards their sleeping chambers, but Skygge stayed behind. Macro stopped and looked back at her as she stared down the side of the mountain. The chimera walked back to her. "Is there something wrong?"

"No." She replied without looking at him. "I'm just thinking to myself."

"What about?" Macro followed her gaze to see the city below. Tiny lights zipped throughout the air and trees with orbs of light illuminated the city itself. He had not noticed them previous nights and found himself captivated by the sight. Skygge's blue eye fixed on him then looked back down at the city.

After another few minutes of silence she turned towards the descending steps. "Follow me." Macro snapped out of his trance and watched as she began making her way down the stairs. When she disappeared from his view he galloped after her. The dragoness led him down two flights of stairs and down several halls carved into the stone of the mountain itself. As they walked, Macro began to notice the gentle hum in the night air.

"What is that noise?" He asked aloud. The noise sounded like thousands of crickets all chirping at once. The hum seemed to sooth the chimera in a way that made him realize how exhausted he was; like a natural lullaby, intending to put its listeners to sleep easier.

"You'll see." Skygge replied with a smile on her muzzle. She escorted the youngling around two more turns and came to a stop. Macro shielded his eyes from the bright light coming off the tree she had stopped in front of. The trunk was thick with branches bending towards the ground from the weight of the orbs that grew from its bark.

"How does it light up like that?" Macro asked curiously, moving up closer to Skygge.

The dragoness smiled inwardly, happy to see he was taking an interest in what she had brought him to see. "Take a closer look." Macro stepped forward and squinted as his eyes adjusted to the light. The glowing orbs of the tree were its fruit. They were large and oval-shaped husks, with segmented parts providing an almost decorative contour. The light coming from inside the rigid fruit pulsed in random succession making the chimera's curiosity spike. A sudden chirp beside him caused the chimera to jump as several small creatures zipped by him. Macro watched as the tiny dragons buzzed up to one of the tree branches and landed amongst the leaves before staring down at him.

The creatures were no more than six or seven inches in length. They crouched on sturdy hind legs and tucked their two pairs of wings against their backs. Each of them had a long tail with a glowing, firefly-like tip. The antennae that reached back out of their skulls sported the same glowing tips, which pulsed in a similar manner to the fruits of the tree.

"What are they?" Macro gasped, as he moved closer to the tree.

"They're called feydragons." Skygge replied as more of the tiny dragons buzzed around her head. "They're the nighttime sentries of this city."

"What about the wyrms that guard the outer wall?" Macro asked, turning back to look at her.

Skygge frowned. "They need rest too you know. They're not nocturnal so they are given rest time as well."

"I see." Macro turned back to look up at the branch only to find that the feydragons had moved. His four eyes darted across the branch and noticed the insect-like creatures climb down the side of the glowing fruit orbs and disappear inside an opening in the bottom. Macro moved until he was directly under the tree and reared up awkwardly on his hind legs. He could see now that the fruits were completely hollowed out, allowing the dragons to occupy the entire rind itself. Upon closer inspection, the chimera could see nearly a dozen of feydragons inside, much smaller than the ones which had landed on the branch outside. "They're nesting!" He exclaimed.

The sound of his voice alerted the feydragons to his presence for what seemed like the first time. Several chirped angrily at the volume of Maco's voice before ducking inside their nests.

"Keep your voice down." Skygge warned. "They do not like loud noises when they are in close proximity to the rest of us. Their hearing is far more acute than ours so the vocal sounds that we make can be detrimental to their well being."

"Sorry." Macro whispered and backed away slightly. He had turned to move back to Skygge when a fey bumped into his massive head. The chimera blinked and felt the tiny body hit his hoof-like talons. Macro stepped back and leaned his head towards the fey lying on the ground. The little dragon chirped in distress as it tried to roll over onto its feet. Once it had regained its balance it stared up at the monstrous chimera with no sign of fear. The dragon's long neck shot forward and struck Macro's snout. A spark of electricity caused the chimera to reel back in surprise.

Skygge laughed as she watched the youngling stagger back and fall on his hindquarters. The fey chirped angrily and scrambled up the tree trunk, disappearing into the cover of the branches. "I forgot to mention, they also carry the ability to exert small sparks of shock magic." She walked over to him and nudged the chimera. "Are you okay?

"Y-yeah." Macro stammered. "It just surprised me."

"I bet." Skygge giggled and Macro fixed her with his eyes. It was the first time he had heard her laugh in his presence. Skygge seemed to realize this as well and averted her eyes, but continued to chuckle. The smile on Macro's muzzle grew and he too began to laugh. Hearing his laughter only encouraged Skygge to laugh out loud even more. Before they knew it, both dragons were laughing hysterically. Above them, the feydragons watched curiously, grumpily chirping in their own language as their larger cousins struggled to regain their lost breath.

When Skygge and Macro were finally able to breathe again, they retreated short distance from the colony of fey nests. They lay down and took several minutes to gaze at the illuminated tree with occasional giggles passing between them. When the two youngsters had gotten control of themselves enough to be silent, Macro let his two left eyes fall on the black dragoness beside him. The light from the fey colony made her dark scales emanate a soft golden hue. The chimera smiled and brushed her shoulder with the back of one of his hands. Skygge turned and looked down at him, somewhat taken aback from the gesture.

"Thank you." The youngling murmured.

The black dragoness jolted in surprise. "For what?"

Macro tucked his hand back in under his chest and stared at the colony in the tree. "For being my friend. This is one of the most beautiful sights I've ever seen."

Skygge raised a skeptical brow. "One of them? I thought you were raised in seclusion."

Macro turned towards her. "That doesn't mean I haven't seen anything beautiful between then and now."

Skygge's eyelids drooped slightly as she locked her gaze on the chimera's feral-looking eyes. "Is that so... Why don't you tell me more about it?"

Macro opened his mouth to speak when the hum of the feys turned to a piercing screech in the night. The trees suddenly became alive with tiny fey dragons scrambling out of their nests before immediately taking to the air.

"What's going on?" Macro asked, his eyes darting around anxiously.

Beside him, Skygge's eyes widened and her spines flattened against her body. "Oh no." A split second later, the fey colony went dark and a high pitched shriek pierced the night


End file.
